Bittersweet Memories
by Looketh
Summary: They were just a group of girls- but no one knew of the burdens they held. A competition meant to save their career ends up revealing more than ever about them. Will they be able to keep holding on? Or will their secrets break them down? CS PS IS ORS AU
1. Prologue

**Hey there readers~ Welcome to my first chaptered story- Bittersweet Memories. This is a just short little prologue- I just really need some comments and suggestions so I can get my plot going. This story will mainly be Romance, with Drama and occasionally humor. I got my inspiration from watching "Rent" the movie really recently, & reading quite a few amazing fanfics. And of course music. There will be a ton of that in this story. Hehe. (:**

**I recommend this for ages 13+. There will be mentions of many T-Rated subjects. (Swearing, Drugs, Alcohol...) It won't be graphic, and I'll keep it as vague as I can, but the plot involves it so, sorry! D:**

**Disclaimer: I don't nor will ever own Pokemon or it's characters.**

* * *

><p><strong>Bittersweet Memories<strong>

It was all an act. Those happy-go-lucky smiles, those hyperactive moments, her quirky, carefree, loving self. Sure it was the same way she acted before she even met _him_, but now its all a forced charade. Fooling those around her to think she's stronger, even though she's just trying to fool her self. He played her like a piano and beat her like a drum and it hurt- a lot. More than anyone can even imagine. But no one knows that, of course. Because she hides it behind her mask. Her once trusting heart was shattered into a million pieces with irreplaceable parts. Those bright green eyes revealed nothing. No emotion. Because that would make her weak.

* * *

><p>It was an amazing feeling. Like floating on air. Screw those girls who called her an immature whore. Screw her father who left her and her mother to rot, and barely survive. Screw those people who judge, but don't understand. Screw the world. She knows its wrong, but it feels so... right. And it makes her feel <em>so good<em>. It made her feel mature- adults do it right? She saw them on TV, in their short little skirts and powdered faces. That must be the key to confidence. It gave her power. It helped make her stand up a little taller, look people straight in the eye, and take control of her own life. It made her feel important. And besides, a little drink couldn't hurt anyone... right?

* * *

><p>Consider it bad luck. Or maybe karma from her past life. But she had lost everything. Her parents. Her home. Her entire childhood. <em>Gone in a single blow<em>. And now she was gonna lose the only thing she had left, her brother, to leukemia. While her classmates would go off to the mall after school, she went straight to her minimum-wage fast food job, studying in between orders. When that shift was over, she'd go to be a waitress at a cheap diner. That was her life everyday since the incident, and everyday she never missed out on a chance to visit her little brother in the hospital. She had worked so hard her entire life for luck to be on her side, and nothing- or _no one_ will stand in the way.

* * *

><p>She wasn't perfect. She would never be. She didn't have long flowing hair, a perfect hourglass figure and a flawless face. She wasn't girly or giggly, but she was true to herself. Isn't that all that matters?<br>But that wasn't good enough. _She_ was never good enough. Sure, you can get surgery to make yourself _seem_ perfect- but her sisters' didn't need to do that. They didn't hesitate to recommend it to her though. Fake boobs, a fake face- she didn't want to go under the scalpel. She faked it all. She faked being a fake. She put on a ton of makeup, forced herself into the "right" clothes to give her a figure, and all just to be _sensational_. Just like her sisters.

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><p><strong>...so? What do you guys think? Any suggestionscomments/concerns/etc? Too cliche, too dramatic, not dramatic enough, too confusing...? Be sure to review, because I'm basing this story off of what you guys want. (: So if your the only one who reviews, then the story goes your way. woooo!**

**I also was originally planning to make the main focus contestshipping with the other couples on the side, but how does it sound if I just make all the ships equal? Or do you guys want me to focus on a certain ship? See, it all goes down to reviewing again. xD**

**Btw, Could you tell who was who?**  
><strong>Next update will either be tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for reading~<strong>

**~Brie  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 1: The Competition

**Hi readers! Here's the first official chapter of Bittersweet Memories. This takes place a while after the prologue. Enjoy~  
>Just to clear things up, the backstories were done in this order: Leaf, Dawn, May, Misty. I felt like they seem really OOC, so hopefully this chapter makes them more in-character.<br>**

**I really recommend listening to the song while they're 'preforming'. It'll help you imagine whats going on. (:**

**[EDIT:] So I decided to extend this chapter and re-write some of it since it was really rushed. So... yeah. Here we go!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't nor will ever own Pokemon or it's characters.  
>Suggested for ages 13+. There will be mentions of many T-Rated subjects. (Swearing, Drugs, Alcohol...) It won't be graphic, and I'll keep it as vague as I can, but the plot involves it so, sorry!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Bittersweet Memories<strong>  
><em>Chapter 1: The Competition<em>

_"Are you ready?"_  
>A steady clapping arose from behind closed curtains.<br>"_IF YOU AIN'T GOT NO MONEY TAKE YOUR BROKE ASS HOME."_  
>The stage's velvet curtains drew back to reveal four dark silhouettes posed together in the center of the stage.<br>_"IF YOU AIN'T GOT NO MONEY TAKE YOUR BROKE ASS HOME-"_  
>The shortest figure snapped her fingers and the entire stadium was momentarily enveloped in a blinding white light.<p>

_"G-L-A-M-" _the same figure started to sing, her navy hair swishing with each step as she took towards the front of the stage, grinning. _"-O-R-O-U-S, yeah." _She whipped around as the remaining girls chorused behind her. _"G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S"_

_"We flying the first class, up in the sky," _A green-eyed brunette took the stage and strutted down the stage to join the bluenette._ "Poppin' champagne, livin' the life." _They exchanged a unenthusiastic glance as they moved to the set choreography. _"In the fast lane, And I won't change, By the Glamorous, ooh the flossy flossy."_

The crowd cheered wildly, singing the lyrics along with the girls and calling out their favorite band member's names. Behind the curtain, their manager studied her band's actions, her face tinged with disapproval. Something would have to be done about that.

**...**

"Thank God that's finally over." The bluenette sighed as she collapsed onto one of the dressing room's three bean bags.

Her ginger haired friend, Misty, nodded in agreement, grabbing a bottle of water from their mini-fridge. They had just finished another one of their infamous concerts in Hoenn. Who knew rocking out on stage alongside your friends and in front of thousands of adoring fans could be so... Tiring? Repetitive? _Boring?_ She took a sip of her drink and studied the room. Decent. Small and under-decorated, but it gets the job done. Maybe her expectations are just high. She shrugged then tuned back in to what her friends were fussing about.

"...I just don't see why they have to make us do the meet and greet _right now_," a blue-eyed brunette whined, childishly stomping her feet. "The fans can just go Google us, right? Or go on eBay and buy autographs or something. They should go take a picture with the cardboard cut-outs. Use a green screen or something! Anything really! But right now? At least do it when I'm not _sooo_ hungry..." She pouted and sunk into an unoccupied beanbag.

Misty nearly face palmed at her complaining band mate. "May... we have fifteen minutes of freedom right now. Instead of complaining, you should go get a quick bite to eat." May blinked at this revelation. After a few seconds of processing the information, she ran out of the room and in a blink of an eye was back, carrying a sandwich far too large for human consumption.

Well. _Average_ human consumption.

After a few bizarre looks from the remaining members of the room, Misty just shook her head then plopped down on May's previous beanbag.

"mrphffff-EY." May shouted will a mouthful of sandwich. After swallowing, she continued, "My beanbag! ...Uhh Misty, speaking of which, what happened to yours? There are only three here."

The redhead nonchalantly whistled, while in the last beanbag, the other brunette sweat dropped and spoke up. "The Mallet happened." The green-eyed girl said, earning her knowing, but slightly terrified looks. "While you and Dawn were out doing who-knows-what," she paused and raised a brow accusingly, "we were finishing up our outfits and well... the beanbag got in her way." She shook her head then dismissively waved her hand to the corner of the room when in tattered pieces, fluff and little bits of yellow and red leather were strewn about.

Misty opened her mouth to protest when-

"GIRLS! GET OUT HERE. YOU HAVE TO MEET YOUR FANS, DARLINGS!" A shrill, effeminate voice rang out through the entire backstage of the stadium.

It was voice so scarring that it could make Misty become passive, Dawn hate shopping, Leaf be apathetic, and even May stop devouring her sandwich- key word: could. After a brief moment of horror, she continued to eat her sandwich happily. Which was already three-fourths of the way done, mind you.

The overly-enthusiastic, peppy, disturbing, man-lady-err... person... flounced in, his purple locks bouncing about. "Let's goooo!" He giggled, grabbing the wrists of each band member and dragging them out. Including a very peeved May, whose sandwich laid tragically on the floor.

**...**

The girls were seated at a simple table against a wall of a fairly large room. They sat side by side- Leaf, Misty, May, and Dawn; Smiling at the crowd, calming her still-irritated neighbor, being that still-irritated neighbor, and in deep thought, respectively.

"Quiet down darlings," Their manager's assistant, aka the 'one-and-only' Harley, cooed. The once excitedly chattering crowd began to quiet down into whispers, their attention drawn to the grinning purple-haired man. "Now I know you all want a chance to take a picture with the girls and get their autographs," A few cheers and 'hell yeahs' scattered through the audience, "But that will be done after this Q&A. Wouldn't you like to get to know them more? Okay. Well let's make this quick and start off already. Remember, you have 30 minutes. Aaaaand...go!" He winked and scooted to the side of the room.

A series of hands shot up. "Umm... you in the back." Misty pointed to a short man with a curly 'fro.

"Hi, Adam, from MYX TV(*)." He stood up curtly and waved a hand. "So, I was wondering..."

Dawn tuned out of the conversation. He was probably just asking what their favorite Pokemon was or something like that. She sighed and picked at her nails. Something kept tugging at the girl's mind. This was their last show for a while, but where would the band go on to next? Probably just take a break to write more songs then go back and do even more concerts. She wasn't even sure if she wanted this life. The blunette was positive her friends felt the same way too. In their latest concerts they've been going through routine. Every step, every song, every smile. Nothing was real lately, but their fans didn't seem to notice. Don't get them wrong, they truly loved to perform. The girls just had a lack of inspiration that's all. And lack of inspiration means no new songs.

Being famous wasn't the plan, but each and every one of them had their own purpose for it. Misty was here because of image. She wanted to prove to her sisters that she could but just as amazing as they were. It wasn't her ideal way to live her life, but no one could complain about fame and fortune. One look at her and you would think she's this gorgeous, cute, fashionista. But those who got to know her truly saw her hard-core, athletic, violent-but-caring personality. She was forced to pretend to be someone she was not, just to fit her sister's standards.

Leaf on the other hand was here because of support. They've all been together since the very beginning, and this band was formed as a way for the girls to stick together and express themselves. She was an unwanted child, with no one to turn to. And ever since certain... incidents, she hadn't been able to trust anyone else as easily. Not like they'd even let anyone remotely near her who could cause her pain. Sure, they were overprotective, but she couldn't get hurt. Not again. She inspired them to make this band. She put so much emotion into her songs and words, it all had to be from past experience.

May... She's such a sweet heart. One look and her natural personality makes her seems like a dense, innocent little girl. She'd be through so much tragedy, too much for one person alone to take. She turned to the girls in her time of need and they were there to support her. They always will be. As shallow as it sounds, she's in all of this for the money. Until you realize every penny goes straight to her little brother's medical bills. Though to be in the spotlight all the time wasn't her intention, it was a hell of a step up from her days at the fast food joints.

And as for herself, Dawn was here to set herself straight and be with her friends. During her younger years as a teenager she was all screwed up. Joined the wrong crowd, got involved in some seriously bad stuff... She was addicted to it all. Something deep inside of her just wants to go back to how it used to be. Though unbeknownst to her girls, once in a while temptation really gets to her. It was all so easy; skipping school, stealing, drugs. Oh man. Those really made you feel on top of the- '_No. I have my friends to support me, and no way in hell am I gonna go back to how it used to be._'

"What about you, Miss Dawn?"

'_...what. Oh yeah, we're in a Q&A. My bad._'

"Um... could you repeat the question please?" She grinned sheepishly. She did tend to zone out. Dawn wondered how long the conference has gone for already.

"Do you have any siblings? Miss Leaf said she had none, as did Miss May." The young, pre-teen fangirl questioned.

'_Great. She's one of those people who add 'Miss' in front of our names. It can get pretty annoying, even though they're just being polite. I mean, do I look old to you? Pft. 'Miss'. Whatever._'

Wait, did she say May had no siblings? Dawn opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it. May didn't want for Max to be known, the media would probably tear up that story to pieces and not leave her-or him- alone.

"Umm... No I don't sweetie." She put on a cheesy smile as the girl nodded and sat back down.

Out of nowhere good ol' Harley jumped out to stop the curious audience from asking any more questions. "Okay dolls, times up! Hope you got to know your favorite band even better now. Now they'll be glad to take some pictures and sign some autographs if you can get into a straight, orderly line..."

Poor guy never got to finish before he was tackled down.

**...**

After the session with the fans, the girls sauntered back to their rooms, tired, grouchy, but relieved it was all over.

"You guys," Dawn, still thinking about her earlier question, spoke up. "What are we doing after this?"

"Visiting my brother." May responded, changing into a comfortable pair of sweats and a v-neck. "He'll be glad to know this thing is over. For now, at least."

"No... I mean, after this concert?" She gestured to her surroundings. "We don't have any more performance dates coming up for some reason."

"I'll tell you what you girls will be doing." A new voice cut in. Sounding smooth, but impatient.

"Solidad? What do you mean?" Leaf jumped up from her beanbag and walked over to her manager.

"I _mean,_ what happened to you guys? You haven't been giving it your all lately." The pinkette's eyebrows gathered together in a 'v' as she demanded answers.

"We've just lost inspiration lately." Misty piped up, shrugging her shoulders. "It's no big deal. You _know _we have a lot going on."

Solidad sighed and brought her hand to her temples. "I know, but your producer doesn't. Your contract is ending soon, and if you don't shape up, he might not renew it."

A series of gasps were heard throughout the room. "You can't be serious." Dawn said, flabbergasted. "We've been working under him for years! He can't do that!"

Their manager shook her head. "You know perfectly well he can. He never dared to, since you guys were his main source of profit. But he recently discovered a new group- one that is a major threat to you guys. He's trying them out now, so if their album sells, you'll have serious competition." She paused, looking at her band's gaping faces. "You guys will have a few months or so to show him you really can do it. And work your butts _off_ damn it!"

After their initial shock wore off, May raised her fist. "Hell yeah we will. He'll regret even thinking of letting us go!" She said with a determined expression.

Solidad smiled a small, but proud smile. The smile faded away quickly as she sheepishly added, "Oh yeah. And remember what I said about telling you what you're going to do next?"

She received a round of nods and 'uh-huhs'.

"Weeeell... To see which group he'll decide on, either you or his new band," She rubbed the back of her neck, unsure of their reaction. "You'll be going on tour with them."

The room was eerily quiet for a while as some of the band members exchanged glances. Leaf turned around slowly to face Solidad with an unreadable expression on her face.

"You mean we have to tour... With the girls who are trying to make us lose our job..." There was a silence as they uneasily watched a ridiculously calm Leaf, waiting for an explosion of fury and murderous threats.

What they got was even scarier.

Leaf threw her head back and started laughing maniacally, rubbing her hands together as her chortle boomed through the entire room.

"MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HAHAHAHAHA..HAHA..Hah." Her fit of evil laughter slowly died down as her friends stared at her awkwardly, unsure at how to react to the strange situation.

Misty shook her head and looked and her questionably. "Sometimes I'm worried about your sanity." She sighed, "I don't know if it's even safe to ask, but what are you planning, Leaf?"

"You better not be thinking about doing anything mean." Dawn reprimanded. "They could be nice for all we know. In fact, we might be really good friends with them! Oooh!"

Leaf turned to her red-headed friend with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh nothing... I agree with Dawn, I'm just really excited to meet our new friends."

Dawn grinned triumphantly, ignorant to the skeptical stares from the others.

"Umm. Okay then..." Solidad stated unsurely, "Well then, go home and get some sleep- You'll be meeting them in the morning."

The girls nodded together and grabbed their bags, filing out of the room. A certain pair of brunettes were left alone, one of them sending a curious expression to the other.

"I have a feeling that this isn't going to be pretty."

"You betcha. Our lovely competition is going to get a welcoming present. You know... Welcome them to the business."

The blue-eyed one smirked. "Just don't get carried away now."

"No promises there."

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><p><strong>(*) This one show I found while on vacation a long time ago. It shows like the latest top songs and info about the music and has cute little hosts.<strong>

**Leaf is plotting... I thought we needed a few pranks for next chapter, no? ;) Boys will be in next chapter.  
><strong>

**A few people have told me how they usually don't read fics where they're popstars/in a band/etcetc. Just wanted to put it out there that this /will/ be one, but like I said in the prologue, a ton of my inspiration came from music, and I had to find a way to incorporate it in without them getting too high school musical-like. I'll make sure to keep it interesting with plot twists, though.  
><strong>

**Also: I need a band name people! For both the guys, and the girls. I was thinking of just making the girls' "Bittersweet" to tie into the story. What do you think?  
>&amp; Feel free to give me OCs. Some maybe big characters, or maybe they'll just have a quick <strong>

**Don't forget to review. ;)**

**~Brie  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 2: Leaf the Prankster

**CHAPTER TWO WOOTWOOT. Hopefully not too OOC. Max is in this chapter! And so are the boys. Enjoy~**

****Disclaimer: I don't nor will ever own Pokemon or it's characters.  
>Suggested for ages 13+. There will be mentions of many T-Rated subjects. (Swearing, Drugs, Alcohol...) It won't be graphic, and I'll keep it as vague as I can, but the plot involves it so, sorry!<strong>**

* * *

><p><strong>Bittersweet Memories<strong>  
><em>Chapter 2: Leaf the Prankster<br>_

"That really sucks May. He can't do that to you guys." A 14-year-old teen said, tucked in between the sheets of a small white bed. He had a simple hospital gown on, and a teal beanie to cover his diminishing hair. The room he was staying in was small but comfortable, his single bed in the middle, lined with various cords and machines. A few chairs were pushed against the wall apposing him, along with a small TV. To his left was a side table, holding a laptop and a few flowers from his sister.

May sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Apparently he can. I mean, our contract _is _expiring, so he has every right too."

"Well, whatever. You prove him wrong and go on that tour. I'm positive you can run that other band to the ground!" Max cheered enthusiastically, grinning at his sister.

May couldn't help but smile at how cheerful he was. For someone who was stuck in a hospital day in and day out, he had a positive outlook on life and she found it very inspiring. "Okay_ Maxie_, just for you." She cooed, pinching his cheek. "But you know... I'll be going to Kanto. I won't be able to visit you nearly as often as I do now."

He slapped her hand away and stuck out his tongue. "I know," He gave her a sad smile. "You do so much for me though. I'll be fine here. You have to go and protect your career."

She smiled in response and leaned over to give him a hug. "Thanks Max, I appreciate it." She withdrew from his grasp, just in time to see him release a yawn. "You really should sleep soon. I think visiting hours are over, anyway."

Max gave a disappointed frown. "Nooo. I'm n-not even tired." He said, stifling another yawn.

She rolled her eyes playfully then pulled the covers of his bed up to his shoulders. "So stubborn. Go to sleep Max, I'll see you soon."

"Okay... Promise?" He slumped into his pillow, defeated.

She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Of course." And with that, May swept out of the room, leaving her sleeping brother behind.

**...**

_She said her name was Nicki_

_She came to play, and her body was sick yeah_

_She kill when she walks, so sexy when she talk_

_Oh, you know she gonn-_ SLAM

"Ugh…" May groaned as she repeatedly hit the snooze button on her alarm clock. She turned over and buried her face into her pillow, frowning. She told Max about the band's situation last night, and it made her she regret having to leave him _again_.

He was completely fine with it, but it broke her heart to not be able to see him for weeks-maybe months-at a time. And she couldn't help but feel selfish for choosing her career over him.

_"I'll be fine here. You have to go and protect your career."_

Of course he didn't mean to sound like he was blaming her, but her conscience was picking through their entire conversation, pulling apart anything that made her feel the slightest bit guilty. May knew it wasn't her fault. She wasn't leaving him in vain. After all, the whole reason she was even doing this was so she could pay for Max's medical bills.

She was so absorbed in her reverie, she failed to acknowledge the bluenette barreling into her room at that moment. "OH MAAAAAY. UP AND AT 'EM. Time to get ready for our meeting with the new girls! I got you an outfit!"

May froze. Hopefully if she didn't move, Dawn would give up and go find another victim.

"I can see you, ya know. Get your butt up and try these on, would you? We dress to impress." She chirped, throwing a set of clothes at May's still-frozen body and skipping out of the room.

The brunette laughed and grabbed the ensemble. Dawn was so perky, even in the morning. She made her way to the bathroom and stepped into the shower.

The two had been living together for as long as she could remember. She first met Dawn during her old job as a waitress, and the two instantly hit it off and became close friends. They only got closer from there when they learned the other's hidden secrets, keeping a pact to always be there for each other when times got rough. When the rent became way too much for her to handle along with school, work, and Max's medical bills, Dawn stepped in and offered May a place at her house. Even though she could easily afford her own home now, the two preferred to stick together, just like old times.

She finished her shower and stepped out of the foggy bathroom, tugging at her clothes. She was in a sheer ivory summer dress, that had an acrylic lining. It loosely draped around her body before promptly stopping above her knees. A navy blue belt was place around her waist to accentuate her curves. May opted for a pair of matching ankle boots instead of Dawn's original choice of deadly stilettos.

Said girl was lounging on May's bed, reading a magazine. "'Bout time, Mayzie. Solidad told us to be at the restaurant in thirty minutes." She hopped off the bed and gave her friend a quick once-over. "You look good. Meet you in the car." She flipped her car keys in the air, and with a wink, caught them and waltzed out of the room.

After grabbing her phone and a small purse, May left her room in pursuit of her peppy housemate.

**...**

Dawn stepped out of her navy Mini Cooper and slammed the door behind her. She peeked over the hood of the car to see her brunette passenger do the same. With a satisfied nod, they swept through the doors of the posh restaurant, only to be immediately recognized and escorted by a waiter to a large, leather, half-circle booth, which seated their manager and fellow band members.

"Hey guys." Dawn greeted, sliding into the booth after May. "When's the other band getting here?"

Solidad glanced at her wrist. "They should've been here by now. They're probably just running late."

Misty nodded and opened her mouth to speak when she was interrupted by a sudden, high-pitched roar that emanated from outside the walls of the restaurant. A noise so shrill, only one species could make such a sound.

_ Fan girls. _

Leaf perked up in recognition of the sound, and grinned. "They're heeeeere!" She eerily announced. The girls braced themselves and intently glued their eyes to the bistro's double doors.

The doors parted to reveal three figures standing side-by-side. A brunette with a sly grin, a smirking viridian-haired one, and an impassive member with mauve hair. They leisurely strolled down the restaurant aisle, completely ignorant to the blatantly zealous eyes that followed their every move.

They were the _freaking _epitome of sexy.

"Holy shit, they're guys? I thought they were supposed to be girls! WHY ARE THEY NOT GIRLS?" Leaf hissed in her manager's ear, trying to keep as quiet as she could.

Dawn, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. "Woooow... This is _just_ like Twilight. The sexy group comes into the cafeteria. All hot 'n stuff." She sighed and clasped her hands together, a dazed look appearing on her face. "Except this is a restaurant... And they're not vampires... Or are they? DUNDUNDUN."

"...Okay, Dawn. Well now we know why the girls were shrieking so loudly." Misty groaned, rubbing her temple.

May put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "I thought there were more of them...? And what about their manager?"

At that very moment, an ebony haired teen tumbled into the restaurant, crashing into an innocent waiter as he ran up to his friends who were still casually walking as slow as they could. Dawn snapped out of her daydream, the last band member's unique entrance startling her.

A final person entered the building, a tall man with a striking resemblance to the mauve-haired band member. His expression was much more welcoming and friendly, though at the time he was shaking his head.

The brunette stepped forward as the boys came to a stop in front of the table.

"Hi. I'm Gary Oak," He flashed a charming smile that made Dawn swoon. He gestured behind himself, "This is Drew, Paul, and ...Ash." The said boy had his back turned to them, profusely apologizing to the restaurant's staff. "We're _Roulette._ And that's Reggie, the man in charge."

May stood up and nodded politely. "I'm May, this is Dawn, Leaf, Misty, and our manager, Solidad." She said, pointing to each girl respectively. "Harley is our assistant manager...where is he?" She asked Solidad.

She shrugged in response. "Not sure. Last time I saw him he was parking the car, and that was well over fifteen minutes ago."

"He's probably putting finishing touches to that ridiculous Cacturne costume of his." Misty muttered to herself.

Ash perked up at her words. "Cacturne costume?" He turned to Reggie. "Didn't a woman in a cacturne costume confront Maylene about her 'nose tape fashion statement'?"

"That's definitely Harley."

The boys gave an awkward nod and one-by-one, filed into the large booth.

As the waiter came to take their orders, the teens engaged in small-talk.

**...**

Misty eye-balled an uncomfortable looking Ash. "So your the competition, eh?" She said, sizing him up and poking at him like some sort of specimen.

"Ehehe..." He pushed her finger away and sweatdropped. "I'm Ash. You must be, uh... Dawn right?" He grinned and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you!"

At that, Misty's Mallet collided happily with his head.

"Ashy-boy, you dimwit. This lovely lady is _Misty_." Gary, who sat on the other side of the crumpled Ash, took her hand and kissed it.

Misty blushed and withdrew her hand, only to remove the mallet from Ash's skull and plant it on Gary's.

"Stupid boys." She snorted.

**...**

"Hi Paul! How's it going?"

"Fine."

"I'm Dawn."

"Hn."

"Know what you're going to order?"

"No."

"What do you want? I can help!"

"No."

"O-kay. Soo what instrument do you play?"

"Bass."

"Really? Cool! So does Leaf. I play the keyboard, mainly."

"..."

"You don't talk much, do you?"

"..."

"Fine, be that way." Dawn huffed and faced her brunette friend.

**...**

May fiddled with her dress as Drew sat by her.

"Hey, I'm Drew." He stuck out his hand.

She grabbed it and gave a quick shake. "May."

He nodded and leaned back, looking at his menu. "So, _May_. How long have you been in a band?"

"A few years, why?"

He looked at her and perked a brow. "Really? Aren't you only like, twelve?"

A vein popped on her forehead. "I'm seventeen, thank you very much." She sneered.

"Still younger than _me_." He boasted proudly, pointing his thumb to himself. "I'm_ eighteen_."

May snorted. "At least I have the maturity of a seventeen year old, ass hole."

"Tsk tsk. Such foul language from such a _little girl_." He cooed, ruffling her hair.

May hissed and got ready to bite his face off when Dawn tapped her shoulder.

"Maaaaaay, Paul won't talk to me." She crossed her arms and pouted.

May scratched her head. "I'm not having much luck either." She glared at her green-haired neighbor. "I wonder how the other girls are doing."

Her question was answered when she saw Gary and Ash slumped over in a coma-like fashion, and a malicious Misty.

May sighed and looked over at her fellow brunette, who was suspiciously silent. "Just what is she up to?"

**...**

Leaf sat in between Paul and Solidad, her hands folded on her lap. The boys seemed nice, but she couldn't get herself to talk to them. Not like anyone could blame her, all trust in men was shattered when _he_ broke her heart.

_A ten year old girl coward underneath her bed__, clutching a small blanket. She was hiding- _again._ It had been happening more often these days. He would come home drunk and threaten her, beat her, do whatever he pleased. He was a horrible alcoholic. He drowned all of his sorrow in beer__._

_It all began when her mother went out everyday for weeks at a time, only to return in the wee hours of the morning and repeat the process. One day he followed her, only to come back a few hours later, completely wasted. _

_She remember when her mom came home later that day. Her dad screamed and cursed her for being a 'two-timing useless whore', and her mother whimpered under his wrath_, _pleading for forgiveness. He reeled his hand back and slapped her in the face, still teetering around in his drunken state. That was the beginning of his violent reign._

_Leaf's mother abandoned her a few days later. She ran off with the man she cheated with, and refused to be responsible for a child she had with her violent ex-husband._

_At the age of fourteen, she__ ran away. L__eft the town and enrolled at a trashy public school in the ghettos of Cerulean City. She knew she needed an education somehow, but the more legitimate the school, the more questions asked.__ She needed a place where people minded their own business. She wasn't used to being cared for. _

_That's where she met _him._ He was genuinely interested in her, he watched her back, he even offered her a place at his apartment. It wasn't long before she was his- they were truly in love. He made her trust again.__ But puppy love made you blind, and that's what happened to Leaf._

_He took advantage of her. Sure, at first it was 'Babe' this, and 'Love' that, but it changed to 'Bitch where have you been' and over-possessive __threats.__ It led to her being completely __cut-off from civilization. He was a spitting image of her dad._

_Until that one day. He came home exceptionally drunk and giddy. He forced himself on her, something her dad hadn't even done. She fought back the horny drunk as best ask she could, until her body could no longer take the strain and collapsed._

_A few weeks later and she was finally free from his grasp. But at what cost? The bastard abandoned her when he thought she was knocked up._

_Broken, beaten, and abandoned, she laid in the street to rot. Life seemed useless then._

_Until a red-headed beauty came to her side and took her in.__ Their stories were told and they knew that they would always have each other.  
><em>

_And they became _inseparable.

Leaf shuddered. Her mind tried to repress to blurring memories, but they permanently scarred her. She knew all men weren't like that, but she couldn't help but be paranoid. Her emotions felt blocked; She couldn't express how she was feeling.

She looked up to see her friends chatting away, arguing or not, they looked like they were having a fun time. So if they could trust them, she surely could too, right?

_'Snap out of it, Leaf. It's not like you have to make friends with them. They're your competition. That's it.' _She thought. She needed to distract herself.

She laughed evilly. _'Which means some serious initiation pranking needs to be done.'_

**...**

May skeptically watched Leaf's facial expression change. She was concerned when Leaf looked depressed, happy when she started to smile, then absolutely horrified when a mischievous grin appeared on her face.

"The girl has gone absolutely _mad_." She sighed.

Their meals arrived and the chatting slowed. Eventually their dishes were empty and the group evacuated the restaurant.

"So it was really nice meeting you guys." Dawn smiled and tilted her head adorably. "This tour should be interesting."

Gary pouted. "Just interesting? With us around, it's gonna be a freaking party 24/7." He swung his arm around Ash and the two friends began 'woot'-ing.

"You Palletwits look like Mankeys." The red-head scoffed.

"...Palletwit, Misty? Really? That makes no sense." May stared incredulously at her friend.

Misty shrugged. "They're from Pallet Town. And they're twits. It makes complete sense."

"HEY." Leaf frowned. "I'm from Pallet, I'm not an idiot!"

The brunette Palletwit stopped chanting. "If your from Pallet, how come this is the first time I've seen you? I mean, Pallet Town is pretty small."

Leaf looked down. "I-um...Wasn't allowed to go out much. And, um. I moved to Cerulean City after a short while, so that's probably why..."

The girls gave her a sympathetic look while the boys were confused at the reactions they were getting.

Leaf gave an awkward laugh and looked up. "So what are we gonna do now? Oh! I know. We should go to your house." She smiled innocently, though anyone could see the mischievous glint in her eye.

May stared her down. _'What is she doing...?'_

Leaf's eyes momentarily flickered to May, she continued her innocent smile, but for a split second, smirked and winked deviously at her friend.

"Ohhh." May said in realization. She nodded and put on a faux grin. "Yeah! We totally should."

Drew studied the brunettes, curious about their silent interaction. "Uh, okay. Guess we can chill at my place. The guys are staying over tonight, anyways."

Leaf's grin became huge. "_Perfect_."

**...**

"Just make yourselves at home." Drew said, tossing his jacket on his sofa.

They were in a large white house that had mahogany detailing surround the doors, windows, and roof. The outside was completely surrounded by a black fence with an intricate iron design. The yard was covered with an array of flowers and an adorable little rose-bush maze where quite a few wild Roselia and Budew roamed freely. A small, artistic fountain could be found in the center of it.

The room they were in was large, but simply decorated. A massive plasma TV hung peacefully on one wall, whilst the others held various paintings and bookshelves. In the center of the room was a large U-shaped couch and a few brightly colored beanbags, which faced the television.

The boys immediately sprawled out around the room. Gary and Ash grabbed a Wii from one of Drew's shelves and started playing an intense game of... DDR. Paul got comfy in a bean bag and proceeded to pull out his phone and tap furiously at it. Drew spread out on his couch and grabbed the latest issue of 'MYX Magazine'. He flipped a few pages then looked up at the girls expectantly. "Well?"

Dawn smiled. "We're gonna take a look around. Is that okay? I mean, you have _such_ a nice house." She batted her eyelashes.

He smirked and flipped his hair. "Sounds good. Try not to get lost."

"We won't." Misty giggled, rolling her eyes as she turned around.

**...**

The girls made their way to the fountain and sat on its rim.

"Soo." Misty turned to Leaf. "What's the plan?"

The green-eyed brunette grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

She began to whisper to her friends, occasionally looking around for any unwanted nosy boys.

"That's brilliant and all Leaf, but how did you even plan this? I mean, up to the point of when we actually met them, we thought they were girls!" Asked a confused Dawn.

Leaf stuck her index finger in the air and close her eyes. "A good prankster is always prepared for a change of plans. Though I'm kinda depressed that we can't do the frozen-peanut-butter-in-your-bra trick." She pouted.

The girls sweat dropped and scooted away from the 'Pranking Goddess'.

May stood up and grinned. "_Anyways_... Let's go prank some guys!" She cheered.

The girls nodded and went to Leaf's car to get the necessary equipment for their task.

**...**

The girls walked back into Drew's living room, their purses unusually large. But of course, this went unnoticed by the boys.

Drew looked up from his magazine. "Enjoy your tour?"

"You bet." Misty grinned. She turned to face the Palletwits passed out on the floor from their hard-core dancing. "Hey Ash, wanna go grab a bite to eat?" She smiled cheekily.

He groaned and sat up. "uhnn...Huh? Wait. Food? Okay." He grabbed her hand and dragged the poor red-head to the kitchen.

_'My turn.' _Dawn snickered. "Hey Paul?"

"Hn." He hn'd.

She poked her fingers together. "Wanna have a battle?"

He snorted. "...your freaking kidding me."

Dawn gasped and grabbed May. "That's the longest thing he's ever said to me!"

"..."

"So is that a yes?" She asked. "I'll leave you alone for the rest of the day if you do!"

He looked at her. "Fine." And with that, he stood up and walked out the door.

Dawn stared after him incredulously. "It worked? Cool. WAIT FOR ME PAULIE!" She screamed, running after him.

_'Two down, two to go.'_

"Drew?" Leaf fluttered her eye lashes. "I only got to see the outside of your house, can I see the rest?"

"Sure." He said, his eyes never leaving the magazine.

Leaf stared at him. "So... can you show me?" She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Go ask Gary. I'm busy."

Her nostrils flared as she got ready to tackle the snobby eggplant. "WHY YOU-"

May grabbed her arm. "Shh. Just take Gary instead, it'll work either way." She whispered. Leaf nodded and dropped her fist. "Gary! Will you show me the rest of the house?"

Gary groaned and opened his eyes to a pouting Leaf. A quick blush crossed his face as he closed his eyes once again. "I'm tired..."

"Pwetty pweeeease?" She jutted out her lip even further.

The boy sighed and stood up. "Women. You just can't resist their charms." He defeated trudged off to the next room. He poked his head in. "You coming?"

Leaf grinned successfully and skipped off, mouthing 'Good luck'.

"Erm... I'm just going to go to the bathroom, okay Drew?" May asked.

"Mhmm..." He replied, flipping another page of his magazine.

**...**

Leaf followed Gary around the upper floor of the house. "Do you mind if I let my Leafeon out? I'm sure she'd like to see this place, too."

"Sure, no problem." He nodded, and turned to go down a particularly long cooridor. "This," He gestured, "is where you can find our bed rooms. Drew has so many guest bedrooms that we have our own permanent ones here." He chuckled.

Leaf whistled and took out a pokeball. "Come on out, Leafeon!" In a flash, her eevee-lution was out and following her around.

Gary looked curiously and Leafeon. "I have an Umbreon, but he's not on me right now though. My pokeballs are down stairs. Leafeon looks really healthy."

"Thanks," She grinned. "I'm sure your Umbreon is awesome."

He smirked at her. "Of course he is. Like owner like pokemon." Leaf rolled her eyes.

Gary snickered and pointed to a mahogany door with an intricate design carved in, a little wooden 'D' hanging on it. "That's Drew's room, obviously." He took a few steps down and pointed to a room across from it. The door was completely plain, other then a simple 'P' and a 'DO NOT ENTER' sign. "The grumpy dude's room. And the one next to it with the pokemon posters is Ash's." He took a few more steps down to a door across from Ash's. It had a bunch of postcards from various regions and stats on pokemon. A little 'G' hung on the door frame. "This is mine." He turned the knob, and with a click, the door opened and the two stepped into the room.

Gary ran at full speed and jumped on his bed. "And thats the end of your tour. Any questions?"

"Nope. Just one thing." She said, her hands behind her back as she nonchalantly took steps closer to him.

"What?"

"Leafeon, Sleep powder!"

The eeveelution sent a shower of dust towards a very drowsy Gary.

"Damn...it... Leaf..."

Leaf grinned and recalled her Leafeon. She took out a rope and bound the poor boy's arms behind his back.

She took out another pokeball. "Venusaur, lets go!" The large bulb pokemon roared.

"I need you to-very gently-help me bring Gary to the living room, please." Venusaur grunted and lifted the lifeless boy onto its back. Leaf jumped on her pokemon, holding a permanent marker to Gary's face as the pocket monster strolled down the large-enough hallways.

**...**

May scurried to Drew's room, a compact bottle of purple hair dye in her hand. She doubted it would work, but Leaf guaranteed that the hair-dye brand was so potent it could dye his entire head in ten minutes. And knowing how long Drew takes on his hair, ten minutes was nothing.

She stepped into his huge marble bathroom, too preoccupied with the current mission at hand to admire it all. Drew's shower had his shampoos and conditioners listed by day. "Figures..." She mumbled. "Only he would bother organizing his freaking shampoos." She poked around until she found one labeled 'Saturday'. "Perfect." She said to herself, as she poured out most of the conditioner and dumped the entire bag of dye in.

"Poor Drew will never see it coming." May snickered. "Now to get the show on the road."

May went back downstairs to the living room, where Drew _still_ had his face buried in the magazine. She pulled out a can of spray cheese and aimed it at his face.

_'3...2...1...' _PSSSSSSHHHHHT.

Drew's face became an unnaturally red color that, with his green hair, made it look like Christmas came too early.

"WHAT THE HELL MAY. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

May shrugged. "I thought you needed a shower."

"AND YOU COULDN'T JUST TELL ME?" His face was glowing so brightly, Rudolph would've been jealous.

"...Oops."

After a some very inappropriate language and an array of colorful words, Drew stormed up to his room to take a shower.

May giggled. "Enjoy your hair for now, Drewie."

**...**

"Okay Paul, does a one-on-one battle sound okay?" Dawn shouted from across Drew's backyard.

He nodded, and took out a pokeball.

"Pachirisu! Spotlight!" She threw the red-and-white ball in the air as the electric squirrel popped out.

"Weavile, stand by for battle." Paul repeated her actions, only to have a menacing purple ice/dark type to come out.

The two pokemon bantered back and forth, lethal beams of electricity and ice shooting out between the two pokemon.

After a few minutes of battling, the small electric type collapsed in defeat.

"You did a great job, Pachirisu. Return!" Dawn said, returning her Pokemon.

Paul wordlessly returned his Weavile, nodding his head in approval.

Dawn picked up her purse. "Great job. I'll race you inside!" She giggled and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, knowing fully well that the stoic teen would walk as slow as he possibly could.

She snuck inside the living room and looked around. Only May was there, relaxing on one of the two bean bags.

"May! The plan is in action NOW."

The brunette nodded and stood by the door to keep watch. Dawn went to fast work and pulled out a container from her bag.

_Quick drying super glue. _

She snickered and rubbed the glue onto Paul's beanbag. "I'll just buy them a new beanbag after all of this."

_'Better hurry up.' _She thought to herself. "And... done! May take the other beanbag!"

May nodded and bounded onto the only other squishy chair. Dawn obnoxiously spread herself out on the sofa, not leaving a single space available.

Right on cue, the grumpy teen walked in slowly.

"I beat you, Paul!" Dawn stuck her tongue out.

Paul slumped in his chair. "Hn." After shifting around until he found a comfortable position, he pulled out his phone and proceeded to tap on the screen.

**...**

"So what are you up for, Ash?" Misty asked, taking out a carton of Green Tea Ice Cream from the freezer.

They were in the house's massive kitchen, looking for something to eat.

"Ooh are you having ice cream?" She nodded. His eyes widened. "Can I pleeeease have some?"

She smirked. _'Hook, line, and sinker.' _"Of course Ash! Go sit at the table, I'll get you some."

"D'aww, thanks Mist!" He tackled her into a hug and skipped off to the dining room.

_'Mist?' _She shook her head, trying to remove the vibrant blush growing on her cheeks. _'Adorable or not, I hope you like wasabi.'_ Misty grinned evilly as she took out a package of the spicy Asian sauce from her purse.

She concealed the wasabi in the center of the ice cream. After making a non-wasabified version for herself, she brought both into the dining room.

"Aww Mist, that looks so gooooood! Thanks a bunch!" He cheered, relieving her of his ice cream scoop.

_'Again with that nickname? The boy is trying to kill me.' _Misty smiled guiltily and sat down.

Ash scooped up a spoonful of spicy ice cream. "Here we go!" He brought the scoop to his face-

"WAAAAIT." Misty screamed, grabbing the spoon.

He looked at her curiously. "Whats wrong, Mist?" He tilted his head to the side.

_'I hate this guy.' _She grumbled, switching the two plates. "You should have my ice cream...I-ah... You should have the bigger one since I won't eat too much."

He studied the two plates. "They look exactly the same to me." He chuckled, "But it's what you want that matters." He smiled an oh-so-sweet smile.

She melted into a puddle on the inside as he grinned while eating. "Awnt choo gonna hab sum?" He said with his mouth full, pointing to her plate.

"Ahh-no. Well. Uhh. I can't really..." She mumbled.

"Aww c'mon Mist, just try it!" He said, taking her spoon and shoving it in her mouth.

Misty couldn't complain at the sweet gesture, but the burning sensation growing throughout her throat was overwhelmingly painful. And as she could feel her face swelling from the heat, her face became a dangerous shade of red, whether it was from the spiciness, or a certain ebony-haired teen and his boyish charms, she couldn't tell.

And then she passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>FINALLY DONE. I pulled an all-nighter to get this done for you guys. So if I misspelled something, or completely left something out, please tell me.<strong>

**Enjoy! I was going to do the laxatives prank on Ash, but I found out that its can hospitalize people, and I would hate to do that to Ashy-boy.  
>So don't plan on doing it in real life.<strong>

**Any ideas on why I chose the band name, Roulette? Guess correctly and I'll dedicate the next chapter to you. xD  
><strong>

**Part 1 of the pranking. Next chapter will have the outcomes of the pranks... and the consequences. DUN DUN DUN. And the beginning of the tour.  
><strong>

**Palletwit.  
><strong>

**Added Leaf's drama stuff in this chapter. No shippie moments yet... Not until the secrets come out, at least.**

**Review if you love me. 'Cause I love you readers. :D  
>~Brie<br>**


	4. Chapter 3: All Aboard the SS Current

**Finally, Chapter 3 is here! Enjoy it. (: Fillerishy. Dedicated to SilverSharpie3, since she was the only one who bothered guessing what Roulette meant, haha.  
><strong>

****Disclaimer: I don't nor will ever own Pokemon or it's characters.  
>Suggested for ages 13+ for swearing, alcohol, drugs, etc.<br>****

* * *

><p><em><strong>Bittersweet Memories<strong>  
><em>Chapter 3: All Aboard the S.S. Current<em>  
><em>

_'Misty... Come on, get up... Mist? Please, Misty...'_

Misty groaned and struggled to sit up. Her head was pounding as a wave of nausea swept over her_._ She felt an arm slide across her lower back, helping her balance up right. She blinked a few times, trying to clear the small bright dots impaling her vision. As they cleared, she looked at the boy keeping her stable. "Ash...?"

"Hey Mist." He gave her a relieved smile. "How are you feeling?"

She wearily looked at him and disregarded the question. "What... happened?"

His expression turned grim as his hand pressed against her forehead. "You fainted! Does this happen often? Are okay?" He asked, a little panicked.

"No... It's never happened before." She rubbed her eye, feeling slightly delirious. "And I'm just a bit dizzy, that's all."

Ash stretched out his other hand and helped her on her feet. "You _really_ should go get checked then. A good friend of mine in Kanto is a doctor, I can ask him to come over, asap."

She shook her head. "No, no. That won't be necessary. I just didn't have breakfast, that's all." Misty swatted Ash away and took a few steps, stumbling into his arms.

He perked a brow as she grinned sheepishly. "I'll go get you something to eat-"

"No!" She interrupted. He gave her a confused look. "Oh-um. I'm full."

"But you just said you didn't eat breakfast."

She bit her lip. "I-err... Uh, yeah. I mean I'm just not hungry."

Ash nodded. "You have to eat a little, though." He began to walk out of the room. "I'll just get you something light, like crackers. You're probably getting sick, that's why you don't want to eat. Gotta stay strong for the tour!"

Misty opened her mouth to speak, but before she knew it, he was gone. She stared after him for a moment, then defeatedly slumped in the dining room's chair, clutching her head.

**...**

Gary shivered. Even though it was a fairly warm summer day, he felt unusually chilly. He sighed as his nose started to itch suddenly. He tried to jerk his arm upwards to scratch it, but found it restrained against his torso. _'What the hell...?' _He groaned. His closed eyelids began to flutter open as he released a large yawn.

He blinked sleepily as his vision cleared. He found himself nose-to-nose with a slightly disgusted Leaf.

"Eww, Gary. Your breath smells."

He stared at her incredulously, then looked around, taking in his surroundings. He was shoved in the corner of Drew's living room, propped up against the wall. Leaf had scooted back a few inches, but was still staring at him with a devious expression. May was sitting on the sofa next to Dawn, peering over at him curiously. Meanwhile, Paul was completely indifferent to the situation, and was still in his beanbag with his eyes closed.

He blinked innocently a few times, before his expression rapidly changed to one of annoyance. "Oh yeah! Damn, Leaf! What was that sleep powder for? And untie me!"

She giggled mechanically. "Hehehe. No can do!" She stood up, winked, and hopped onto the couch. "Nice boxers by the way. Piplups? Classy."

"AWW! Gary those are so cute!" Dawn piped up.

Gary's eyes grew wide as he looked down. He knees were curled up to his stomach, his arms and ankles securely bound by a rope... and he only had his boxers on. "What the- HOLY CRAP! Why am I not wearing any clothes? WHAT DID YOU _DO,_ LEAF?"

Leaf shrugged, then nonchalantly said, "You fell asleep on me, and I got bored. If you want your clothes back they're right there." She gestured to his clothes, which were a few feet away from the struggling teen.

Gary looked to his right. Sure enough, his clothes were neatly folded in a pile behind the sofa.

"How am I supposed to get that?" He whimpered. "Cut this rope, damn it!"

She waved her index finger and winked once again. "No can do!"

He stared at at her in complete silence, his mouth slightly parted. Creeped out by his look, Leaf cringed. "What?"

"...Wait. Who even took off my clothes?" Gary questioned.

She smirked. "Yours truly. Why? Embarrassed?"

Now it was his turn to smirk. "Oh, nothing. It figures _you_ did this little prank."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the tied-up boy.

Snapping his fingers, Gary pursed his lips and swiveled his head like some sort of diva. "You just wanted an excuse to be all up in my sexy."

While Leaf was switching between strangling the poor boy and bashing his head in a way that would make Misty proud, May and Dawn continued to watch from the sidelines.

"He _so_ asked for it."

**...**

Drew had just finished his shower and in a blink of an eye, threw on his clothes, shot out of the bathroom and slid down the railing of his staircase. As he jumped of the ledge, he pulled the damp towel off of his hair and ran his fingers through his still-wet locks, ruffling them.

He entered his living room, welcomed to the sight of a half-naked, black-and-blue Gary crawling around as best as the tied up teen could.

"Oh hey Drew," May said casually, not taking her eyes of of the TV. "Nice hair." Leaf stared at the ceiling, her cheeks puffed out and red from holding in her laughter.

Dawn looked at him innocently. "Did you just take a shower?"

Drew smirked, and reached up to flick his hair out of habit, before realizing he couldn't. His wet bangs were slicked back on his head instead of their usual spot, hanging over his eyes. He quickly put his hand down to avoid embarrassment, and spoke up. "Yeah. Just nice, May? I didn't even have to check my hair when I got out of the shower. Whatever it looks like, it'll always look hot."

The brunette snorted. "What? _You_ passed up a chance to look in the mirror? Must be the apocalypse. Obviously you haven't seen your hair yet, you aren't panicking."

He glared at her as Ash walked in, Misty following. The raven-haired teen walked by Drew and casually patted his back as he passed him. "Hey Paul, what's up?"

Ash's eyes grew twice their size as he came to a stop before the _real_ sleeping Paul. "Paul...?" He faced Drew. "...and Paul? WHY ARE THERE TWO PAULS?"

"Dumbass, I'm Drew. Green hair, see? It's just wet, so it's darker, but it still looks green-" He pulled a lock of hair over his eyes to make a point. "...which is exactly why my hair is purple."

The room became unusually silent as they stared at the purple-haired Drew.

"...why is my hair purple?" His cool facade completely disappeared as astonishment crossed his face. He ran out of the room and staggered back in, holding a small hand mirror, and looking completely bewildered.

"WHO DID THIS? WHO WOULD FUCKING _DARE_ TO EVEN TOUCH MY HAIR? WHICH SMART ASS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO DO THIS TO MY DAMN HAIR? MY HAIR! MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR! DO YOU _KNOW_ HOW DAMN LONG IT WILL TAKE FOR ME TO GROW IT BACK TO NORMAL? I LOOK LIKE A FREAKING_ PRUNE!_ AND LOOK AT MY EYEBROWS! THEY'RE STILL GREEN! WHAT RETARD WALKS AROUND WITH PURPLE HAIR AND GREEN EYEBROWS?"

Misty clicked her tongue at him. "Profanities."

"...I like purple hair." The blunette spoke up.

Drew's eye twitched as he rotated slowly, looking each person in the eye. "Who. Did. This."

Leaf broke out in giggles. "I didn't know it would work _that_ well! Good job, May!" May nodded in agreement, her face flushed and choking in silent laughter. The two brunettes shared a high-five.

"You did this?" His eyes narrowed.

May looked up and whistled. "Maaaybe. Not too much of a pretty boy now, are you?" She stuck out her tongue.

He clenched his jaw then smirked. "I'll always be sexy. Now I'm just sexy with purple hair. I could always dye it back."

Misty made a disgusted expression. "Bleh, why would you even want to dye it back to that disgustingly green color?"

Drew sneered at her. "Says the ginger."

"Freaking glorified eggplant."

The Prune and the Ginger engaged in an intense stare down until they were interrupted by a sudden noise.

Gary, who had long been forgotten, shot up from his position on the ground, ruffled and fully clothed. Two loose ropes encircled his feet as he exclaimed, "FREEEEEDOM! SWEET FREEDOM!"

"Idiot." Paul snorted.

Ash looked at the original purple haired boy curiously. "Were you awake this whole time?"

A series of beeps echoed from Dawn's phone. She pressed a few buttons then momentarily stared at it in silence. "It's Solidad. She just said we're taking the first available boat to Kanto, which is tomorrow night."

"What? Why so soon? Just found out we were going on a tour in the first place!" May cried out.

Drew pulled out his phone. "Just got a text from Reggie. Apparently they want us to be there as soon as possible to prep. They've had this thing planned for a while, May, so expect them to throw a concert in your face at anytime."

Misty nodded. "Yup. Plus boat rides take a few days, so it'll take a while to get there."

Dawn shot up from the couch. "Well this has been fun and all, but we have to go. We have less than 24 hours to pack!" She grabbed Gary by the collar and stuck her eye in his face. "And do you _know_ how long it takes to pack?" She released him and strolled towards the door. "Let's get going girls!"

They nodded simultaneously as everyone in the room began to flood towards the exit.

Except for Paul that is.

The boy began to stand up before being jerked down due to a sudden weight. He raised an eyebrow and tried again to stand up, finding his beloved beanbag attached to his butt. "What the hell?"

The teens at the door turned to face Paul, with his seat sagging off his pants.

"YOU GOT STUCK." Dawn exploded in a fit of giggles.

Paul's eyebrows furrowed as Ash approached him, holding the end of the bean bag not attached to the confused teen. "Ash, why are you holding it?"

Ash studied his hands, currently full with the beanbag. "...two...THREE!" ...and pulled it as hard as he could.

_rrrrrrrip!_

Stuffing flew all over the living room floor, as the seat tore in half. The remnants of the chair's outer cover continued to hang off of Paul.

The teen's face became exasperated as Ash slowly walked away. "You are a complete idiot." And with that, Paul saved the rest of his dignity and stalked out of the room.

"...Okay, well we're gonna go now. Bye!" Dawn chirped, checking herself in a mirror adjacent to the door before skipping out.

Leaf gave a small wave and smiled. Maybe guys weren't that bad after all-

Gary called after her. "Hey Leaf!" She turned around. "Call me." He winked and threw her a piece of paper, which she side-stepped to avoid as it dejectedly floated to the ground.

-Or not.

She gave him a blank look, then walked out the door wordlessly. No, she would avoid all relationships. No way would she put her trust in these _boys_. Gary frowned, before turning to the same mirror the bluenette was looking at to check himself out. Expecting to see his 'oh-so-amazing' self, he was surprised to see a marker-drawn mustache and 'Leaf was here!' written on the side of his cheek. "DAMN IT." He screamed before stalking off to wipe off his colorful facial hair.

Misty smiled at Ash and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks for taking care of me when I fainted earlier."

"Aww, no problem, Mist." He smiled a goofy smile.

"Can you not tell anyone-especially my friends-about me passing out?"

He nodded. "Sure. Why not? You better get yourself checked. It's awesome that we're going to Kanto since my doctor/friend I was telling you about lives there."

"Just... don't. I don't want them to worry, okay? And I promise I will. See you tomorrow!" She smiled once again then left.

Meanwhile, May was muttering to herself. "Should I visit him now, or tomorrow? It's kind of late now, but if I wait until tomorrow, something might come up and that's my last chance to see him..."

"See who?"

May jumped up and held a hand to her chest. "My God! You scared me!"

Drew chuckled and stepped back. "Revenge for my hair. Now...who?"

"Oh, ehehe. I guess I did deserve it then. Um. No one..." She laughed awkwardly, and looked down.

His eyebrow shot up. "Who? Your Dad? Boyfriend?"

She punched him in the arm. "Stop being so nosy. Just my brother. He's... in a situation. And this tour won't let me see him as often as I want."

Drew frowned. "It must be a hell of a situation for a sister to care about her brother that much. Aren't siblings usually fighting like crazy? Well I wouldn't know, I'm an only child."

"Of course I care about him! He only has me left!" She glared at him, before realizing what she said. Her expression soften as she looked down.

"What do you mean...? Oh... I get it... sorry."

She sighed disappointingly and began to walk out the door. "Don't be."

"Wait-" He grabbed May's arm. "I'm sure whatever this situation is, you two will get through it. After all, he has someone amazing to care for him."

She gave him a small smile before whispering a thank you and leaving his house.

And all of a sudden, everything that went wrong that day- whether it was being mauled by rabid fangirls, harassed by violent paparazzi, or his shocking new hair color- didn't matter anymore.

**...**

_He's a guy that you should feel sorry for_.  
><em> He had the world but he thought that he wanted more<em>.  
><em> I owe it all to the mistake he made back then<em>,  
><em> I owe it all to my girl's-<em> click

Misty rose groggily from her bed, pressing the snooze button gently. She had been feeling unusually tired throughout the week, though she made sure to get more than enough sleep daily.

The smell of breakfast wafted to her nose. She shivered, and put on a thick sweatshirt before going to the kitchen of her and Leaf's comfortable abode.

Their condo resided on the border of Slateport City, neighboring the white sand of the infamous Slateport Beach. It was a gorgeous place- the ivory building towered over the lapping waves, so close to the ocean that one would only have to take a few strides to touch the vibrant shells and rippling water.

It was their temporary residence. The two girls mainly lived in Kanto, but during their Hoenn tour, they opted to share a place instead of living at May and Dawn's house.

She pulled out a chair from their small dining room table.

"Morning, Misty!" Leaf chirped. "Have you finished packing yet?" The cheerful brunette stuck a plate of newly made waffles in front of her friend.

Misty eyed the food and slowly pushed it away. "This looks great, Leaf, but I'm not up for waffles right now. I just don't have an appetite. I really have to get to packing, so I think I'll pass for now." She grabbed an orange and a bottle of water. "Thanks though!"

As Misty ran out of the room, Leaf frowned. Was she that bad of a cook? She used to never pass up on her breakfast. She shrugged, and assumed she was just getting sick. After all, Ash did mention something about her not feeling well, so it was safe to say that Misty was just coming down with a cold. Now that Leaf thought about it, she didn't look like she was in the best condition. She made a mental note to pack orange juice and some Advil for the boat ride.

**...**

May unlocked the door of her house and staggered in. It was still early in the morning, and she had just visited Max in the hospital.

_"Hahaha, you guys pranked your competition? Priceless!" The young, bed-ridden teen laughed heartily._

_May smiled. "Yeah, we did. Leaf wanted revenge on them for even trying to push us out of the business. It turns out they're pretty cool, though."_

_"So what was it that you had to tell me?"_

_She scratched the back of her head. "Uh, well you know how we're going to Kanto?"_

_He looked at her curiously. "Yeah...?"_

_"We're leaving tonight."_

_The boy's face fell. "...tonight? So this will be the last time I'll see you in months?"_

_"I'm sorry." Her voiced cracked as she looked down shamefully._

_He frowned. "Hey sis, it isn't your fault." She looked up at him._

_"I know you don't have a choice, and you're doing this all for me! So while your kicking some boy-band butt, you better be thinking of me!" He cheered. "And besides, you're bringing your laptop right? We could video chat whenever you're free."_

_May smiled. How was it possible that someone in his position never saw anything negatively? He really was her true source of motivation. No matter how hard life gets, never let it bring you down._

_"Max, I absolutely love you." She hugged him tightly, almost afraid to let go._

_He returned the hug weakly. "Love you too, sis. And hopefully by the time you get back, I'll be cured and better!"_

_She gave him a sad smile. She knew anything could happen, and she also knew the chances of him being back to normal was little to none. But the poor boy was so enthusiastic about it, she didn't want to break his heart. "Maybe, Max. Maybe."_

_And who knows, maybe he would prove everyone wrong._

Her attention was pulled away as she heard a bang from the second floor of their house. Running quickly to the noise, she found Dawn trapped underneath a pile of suitcases and clothes.

"...Should I even ask?"

Dawn pouted. "I was just packing. I'm almost finished now- I just need to get one more." She dug her way out of the pile and stood up, straightening her clothes. She pulled a large tote bag from under the clothes avalanche. "Accessories! After this, I think we should start heading to Misty and Leaf's condo."

The two bands agreed to meet at the luxurious penthouse, seeing that it was only a few blocks away from the port.

May nodded and went to her room. She grabbed her tan suede bags-four of them to be exact- and lugged them down the stairs to Dawn's Mini Cooper.

She stared at the small car. "We're definitely not going to have enough space for Dawn's clothes."

**...**

_Diiiiing!_

A bell chimed throughout the condo. "I'll get it!" May shouted.

She opened the door to see a now-green haired boy leaning against the frame of the entrance, smirking. Black Raybands laid low on his nose, his eyes glinting mischievously. Gary stood behind him, with sly grin that would make any girl knees wobble. Next to him was Ash, smiling brightly and waving, whilst Paul leaned against the wall apposing the them.

Ignoring the grasshead's attempt to seem cool, May smiled widely. "Hey you guys are here! Just in time, too. Boat leaves at seven, so we'll leave in five minutes or so. Drew, stop trying so hard."

"I'm not trying, May. Roulette members are _always_ bad ass. It just comes to us naturally."

May put a finger to her chin. "Why are you guys even called that?"

"Because with us you never know what you're gonna get." Gary smirked. "Take a chance."

May rolled her eyes and gestured them to come over. Following the brunette, they all went to the living room.

Leaf's legs were crossed and on top of a coffee table. She peered over her magazine. "Oh hi. I see your back to your usual hair color, Drewie."

Paul snorted. "Yeah, after he spent all morning at a beauty salon."

"Not a beauty salon." Drew growled.

Dawn laughed. "You guys are funny. Help us take Misty and Leaf's stuff down to the car? We should get going."

A groan from the boys and a beating from Misty's Mallet later, everyone was out the door and on their way to Slateport's docks.

**...**

_"Attention passengers: The S.S. Current will set sail in ten minutes. Please check-in to the front desk, which is located on the center of the main deck. Make sure to stay inside your cabins until the commotion ceases. Thank you."_

"Wooooo!" Dawn ran down the top deck of the ship. "We're going to Kanto! On a freaking ship! It's like a mini vacation!"

Leaf raced along side her, laughing hysterically. "I know! This is awesome! I thought it was going to be a normal boat ride- they really went all out with a pool and everything, huh?"

"Guuuuuys! Didn't you hear the announcement? We should get to our rooms." Misty screamed at her frolicking friends.

The squealing girls turned to face the redhead. After sharing a look, Dawn ran off. "Race you there!" Leaf stormed after her blue-haired friend.

"They're so hyper." Misty laughed and jogged after them."Hey guys! Isn't it passed your bedtime?"

May giggled and followed them. This was going to be the start of a great adventure.

"Kanto, here we come."

* * *

><p><strong>This was kind of a filler chapter, heh. Sorry.<strong>

**So we found out that the wasabi wasn't the cause of Misty fainting... Then what is? I dropped a few hints through out the chapter, but it'll be revealed in the next one. I wanna hear your guesses on what her problem is!**

**R&R!  
>~Brie<strong>


	5. Chapter 4: Getting to Know You

**Who updated on time? Me. Thas' right. B)  
><strong>

**This chapter is super-de-duper oldrivalshippy. Read at your own risk. Mwuahahaha!**

****Songs used in this chapter in order of appearance:  
>Nothin' On You - B.O.B ft. Bruno Mars<br>I Wanna Go - Britney Spears  
>Promiscuous - Nelly Furtado ft. Timbaland<strong>**

****I always recommend listening to the song while it's being 'sung'. [:  
><strong>**

****Disclaimer: I don't nor will ever own Pokemon, it's characters, or the songs used.  
>Suggested for ages 13+ for swearing, alcohol, drugs, etc.<strong>**

* * *

><p><strong>Bittersweet Memories<strong>__  
>Chapter 4: Getting to Know You<em>_

The morning after their ship took off, Leaf was up and about at the crack of dawn. She had always been one to wake up early, to her it was the most peaceful time of day. After a soothing shower, she felt as revitalized and awake as ever.

Leaf crawled up to her bed, clad in only a white robe. She folded her legs Indian-style, and tapped a pencil to her chin. Between the sound of calm waves lapping against the side of the boat, and the occasional cawing of Wingulls who strayed a little too far out from Hoenn's coast, the atmosphere of the entire boat was tranquil. The quiet roar of the ship's engine purred throughout the S.S. Current's bottom decks like a lullaby. It was times like these when she wrote her songs. No distractions, just the rising sun and herself.

Except for the disrupting snores of her cabin mate.

Leaf sweatdropped. She loved May, but she wasn't exactly the lightest sleeper- or the lightest snorer. She had no problem writing songs when she lived with Misty since they slept in separate rooms, but the fact that they were sharing a small cabin made May's heavy breathing echo.

Deciding she would take a morning walk, Leaf threw on a sweatshirt, a pair of black soffes, and some flipflops. She wrote a note to May, mentioning her whereabouts, then quietly slipped out of the room. She sneaked down the corridor of their deck, curiously exploring each platform.

After almost an hour, she wandered to the top deck. She leaned over the edge of the ship's railing, admiring the Mantine and Wailmer swimming cheerfully alongside the boat. As one water-type leaped particularly high, Leaf reached out her hand, hoping to pet it.

"You should be careful. You might fall overboard."

Surprised by the voice that broke the peaceful silence, she drew back her hand and turned to face the owner. A light blush tinged her cheeks, embarrassed that she was caught in the act. "Oh hi, Gary."

"Hey." He greeted, leaning coolly against the rail. "Why are you up to at..." He paused to glance down at his wristwatch. "...7:15 in the morning? It's kind of early, don't you think?"

She looked away from him and gazed out into the vast sea of blue. "I've been up for a while, watching the sunrise. I guess I'm just a morning person." She faced him again. "And you?"

He shrugged and winked at a blonde who was jogging by. "Just checking out the place."

"I can see that." Leaf rolled her eyes. "Well, I should get going, the girls will probably be waking up soon."

"Wait-" He grabbed her shoulder, causing her to turn around and look him in the eye. "Let me walk you to your room." He dropped his hand. "It's on the way to mine, anyways."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Okay..." She began to walk off without him. Gary smirked and jogged after her to catch up. "So Leaf, what've you been up to?" He asked, trying to make small talk.

"Oh, nothing," She kept her attention forward as she walked a bit faster, "just trying to write a song."

"Whats it about?" He inquired, picking up his pace to match the brunette's.

"I don't know yet." She said defeatedly. "I don't know what to write about... I have no inspiration right now."

He grinned. "I could be your inspiration."

Leaf shot him a look and snorted. "You? Hah. Enlighten me."

He grinned as he slid down the rail of a flight of stairs, one of many that led deeper in the ship to their cabins. She walked after him, watching expectantly.

A brunette walked by, flirtatiously eyeing him. Gary smirked in return and walked backwards, gesturing after the girl's retreating figure. _"Beautiful girls all over the world, I could be chasing, but my time would be wasted. They got nothing on you, baby." _He dropped to the floor and spun around in a boy band-ish manner. He held out a hand towards her._ "Nothing on you, baby." _Leaf snorted and pushed past him._  
><em>

_"They might say hi, and I might say hey,_" The same blonde from earlier- who Leaf swore was stalking them- passed by, batting her lashes and smiling. The corners of Gary's lip's turned upwards as he gave her an acknowledging nod. _ "but you shouldn't worry about what they say- 'Cause they got nothing on you, baby." _He slung an arm around her coolly. _"Nothing on you, baby..."_

Leaf rolled her eyes. Boys will be boys. "Well that was a lovely little show," She clasped her hands together and grinned sarcastically. "But this is my room. Thanks for walking me."

She stuck her hand in her pocket, and pulled it out, empty. Did she forget the key? "Aww, shit." She banged erratically on the door. "DAMN IT MAY, OPEN THE DOOR! I FORGOT MY KEY."

The sound of sheets rustling relieved her. _'She actually woke up? Without heavy duty equipment? Must be my lucky day.'_

But alas, the sound of light snoring reached Leaf's disappointed ears. She sheepishly turned to Gary. "Can I stay with you until she gets up?"

Gary's usual grin grew so big that she thought it would fall off at any second. "Why, of course." He held out an arm. "Care to join me for breakfast m'lady?"

She looked at him questionably. "Um. Okay." She squeaked, linking her arms with his as he escorted her to the complimentary breakfast on the main deck.

**...**

Dawn yawned loudly and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Mornin' Misty." She said, watching her friend shuffle around the room. "Where are you off too?"

"Going to the pool." Misty replied, slipping on a v-neck over her bikini top. She turned around to face the sleepy bluenette. "Wanna come with?"

She nodded and sleepily dragged herself to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Misty rolled her eyes and jumped on the bed, switching on the TV. "Don't take too long!" She screamed over the sound of running water,

The door connecting their room to their friend's room swung open. "WHAT HAPPENED? IS EVERYONE OKAY?" A wide-eyed May stood at the door, clothes sprawled about and hair unkempt and poking out at different directions. One of her sheets trailed from her bed to the feet of the bewildered girl, as the rest of her was a crumpled mess.

Misty flinched at the sight of her dazed friend. "What are you talking about May? You look terrible."

"I heard screaming and banging and..." Her words slowly died down as her eyelids closed and a large yawn was released.

"That was just us." She laughed. "We're going to the pool. Want to go?"

May shook her head. "Not right now. I'll join you guys after I grab some breakfast, 'kay?" She wandered back into her room. "Do you know where Leaf is?"

"Nope, sorry." Misty called out.

May poked around until she discovered a slip of paper neatly folded next to Leaf's song book.

_'Went on a walk. Be back soon._

_-L'_

May shrugged and put the note back in it's place. It had no specific time, so she assumed that she just left recently. She changed into her bikini, putting on jean shorts and a loose blouse over. "I'm going to the little cafe! Meet you guys at the pool later!" She grabbed her room key and skipped out the door.

She felt unusually giddy, and hummed to herself as she walked up the flights of stairs until she finally came up on the main deck. "Ahh, the sun's so nice today." She said to herself, smiling. She continued to make her way to the cafe, waving cheerfully at fans that pointed her out. As the double doors of the small restaurant came into view, she saw a patch of green make its way out, followed by black, then purple.

"Hey, it's Drew! Guys, over here! Ash! Paul!" She cupped her mouth and shouted, waving an arm in the air.

The boys made their way towards the peppy brunette. "Hi, May!" Ash grinned.

Drew nodded in acknowledgement. "Hey."

She smiled and turned to Paul, waiting for his reaction to her greeting. He closed his eyes and comfortably leaned back on his leg. Understanding that this gesture was the closest she would get as a response, she decided not to bother him. "Have you guys eaten yet?"

"Well, I don't know May." Drew said sarcastically. "It's not like we _just_ walked out of a restaurant."

She pouted. "Well sor-ry. I was going to ask you if you wanted to eat with me."

"Sorry! We were just heading off to the pool." Ash apologized.

"Really? Misty and Dawn are there. I was planning to go there after I eat. _Alone._" Her lip jutted out further.

"See you there, then!" The overly-dense boy smiled and scrambled off. Paul opened an eye and sighed. "I'll make sure he doesn't get into any more trouble." He slumped after him with a wave of his hand.

"...Well, I should probably go with them." Drew began to sneak off as she grabbed his arm.

"Pleeeease, Drew?"

He looked at her pouting face, then longingly at his escaping friends. "Fine." He surrendered, allowing himself to be dragged off to the cafe by the cute girl.

The doors of the bistro chimed, warning the waitress' that new customers had entered. A young women led them towards an open booth. "Wait!" May gasped. "Is that Leaf?" She pointed at an occupied booth wedged into the corner of the store. May wasted no time and ran up to her friend.

"...and Gary?" Drew curiously followed the girl, after instructing the waitress to bring their menus to the table.

The girl's were chatting away as Drew slid into the seat next to Gary. "Care to explain why you're eating breakfast with Leaf?"

Gary smirked. "Oh, you know, she got locked out of her room this morning. Decided to be a gentleman and stay with her."

Drew chuckled and slipped Gary a high-five. "Nice one, man."

"But enough about me, why are _you_ here with May?"

Drew shrugged and nonchalantly leaned back in his chair. "She wanted someone to come with her." Gary nodded in approval.

The waitress approached them. "Hi, may I take your order?"

As May gave the women her preference, the other pair continued eating their dishes, while casually chatting with Drew. Eventually the quartet finished their meals and exited the cafe.

"I have to go change to my bathing suit." Leaf spoke up. "How 'bout you, Gary?"

"Same here." He confirmed. "We'll meet up with you guys in a few minutes, okay? Go ahead." And with that, the two brunettes made their way back to the cabins.

May poked Drew in the arm. "Do you know even know where the pool is?"

He flipped his hair. "Of course." He cockily walked away, knowing that she had no choice but to follow. With a vein popping out of her forehead, she trailed Drew to the pool in a silent fury.

At their arrival, the pair found Misty sitting on Ash's shoulders, while Dawn was poking Paul's side. "Pretty please with cherries on top? I wanna play chicken with them! C'mon, Paul, stop being such a downer." She pouted and turned him back to him.

Her eyebrows relaxed as she saw her friends. "Oh hi May! And Drew! Can you play chicken with us? Paul's being a grumpy 'tard."

Drew shrugged and pulled off his shirt before doing a cannonball into the pool.

May, who was peeved enough from Drew's earlier diva-fit, had trouble controlling her anger as his shirt landed perfectly on her face. She tore it off at threw it at a nearby lounge chair, undressing as she settled into a flat bed next to it, preparing to tan.

"Well _hellooo_ ladies."

May opened her eyes to see her remaining friends standing by the poolside.

A shirtless Gary was making quite a few _friends_ as Leaf took off her sundress and leaped into the pool with a huge splash. "Gary get your ass in here, they're playing chicken!"

After waving good-bye to a few pouting girls, he dived in shortly after her. May couldn't help but smile. Leaf seemed to be having a great time with Gary, regardless of all that happened to her. Maybe he'd be the one to finally heal her broken heart. But she couldn't help but have a bad feeling about him. Everything about Gary screamed _player_. He seemed like a good person and loyal friend, but no doubt he had broken hearts before.

She was pulled out of her reverie by a wave of water landing on her. Wet and pissed off, she sat up to glare daggers on the person who _dared_ to interrupt her tanning session. Her attitude changed to a confused one when she found her grumpy friend standing in front of her- and the only one within splashing distance.

"Paul?" She questioned. The teen looked at her impassively, then side-stepped to reveal an innocent looking Dawn sitting upon an equally-innocent looking Drew hidden behind him.

"...You two are dead." She snarled, diving into the pool and taking Dawn down with her. The two girls engaged in a playful water fight, laughing and splashing around. May shrieked as she was hoisted up into someone's shoulders. Grabbing a handful of green hair, she glanced down to see Drew looking back up at her smirking.

"TRAITOR!" Dawn shrieked at Drew, pounding him with her fists. "Damn it Paul, get in here and help me out!"

"Stop throwing a tantrum, Troublesome."

"GET MY NAME RIGHT!"

May laughed heartily as Dawn sulked, feeling bullied.

"What, Paul. Can you not handle being beaten?" Drew taunted.

His onyx's glowed with amusement. "Is that a threat, dear Cabbage?"

Drew looked up at May. "What if it is, _Paulie_?" She peered down to catch his glance and giggled.

Paul growled and dove in, smirking. "Challenge accepted_._" Dawn happily mounted his shoulders as the pairs exchanged glances, ready to spar.

Gary popped out of the water next to them. In a voice that could rival a boxing ring's announcer, he declared, "Let's get ready to ruuuuuuumble!"

In a fit of excited screams and squealing, the teens fought it out. The guys struggled with avoiding being kicked in the face, while for throwing punches and insults benevolently. The girls had a grasp on each other's shoulders, pushing and giggling madly. Dawn reached out and grabbed May's hand, licking it.

"What the hell, Dawn!" She shrieked, and withdrew her limbs. "What was that?"

Dawn smirked. "_That_, dear May, was called a distraction." And with that, she put all her strength into shoving her friend down where she landed painfully in the rippling water, taking Drew along with her.

"Ding ding ding! And round one goes to Paul and Dawn!" Gary chortled from the side of the pool. Leaf burst into a fit of laughter. "Wooo! Go Dawn!"

May popped out of the water frowning. "You got lucky!" Drew came out after her, sputtering. "Damn, May! You kicked me in the gut on the way down."

"Oops, sorry." She sweatdropped.

An irritated roar emitted from the opposite side of the swimming pool. Everyone diverted their attention from the chicken fight over to the jacuzzi, where a red-faced Ash and a calm Misty were seated.

"No fair, Misty! You keep cheating!"

"Ash, you idiot. I told you I was a swimmer."

Leaf piped up. "That's where you guys were! You were awfully quiet the whole time... why?"

"Ash almost drowned himself to death because he kept challenging me to see which one of us could hold our breath longer." Misty rolled her eyes and gestured to him. "I kept telling him I won because I was a swimmer, but he still doesn't believe me."

"That's because it's all a lie! Cheeeeater!"

"It's true, Ash. Misty's just an insanely amazing swimmer!" Dawn shouted.

Paul groaned. "Can you get off of me?"

"Huh?" She looked down at him. "Ohh, off your shoulders. Ehehe, yeah..." She said, climbing off of his torso. "Thanks for finally helping me out!" She hugged him and waded her over to May.

Paul grunted in response. Her simple, friendly gesture caused his ears to glow a faint pink. Of course girls threw themselves at him everyday, but the genuine action effected him in a different way. He pulled himself out of the pool, convinced he was starting to lose his badass touch.

May climbed up from the poolside and wrapped a complimentary towel around herself. "This was fun and all, but I'm getting really prune-y." She frowned, wiggling her wrinkled fingers. "I think I'm gonna go take a shower now."

Leaf nodded. "Me too. I'll come with you." Dawn and Misty silently agreed and trailed after their friends.

"Bye guys!" Misty shouted. "Wanna meet up again later?"

"Sounds good. Dinner at 8?" Gary questioned.

The girls agreed, and with a few waves, departed from the pool.

**...**

Over the several days that they spent on the boat, the two bands gradually became closer and closer, up to the point where strangers would assume that they had known each other for years- imagine the surprise on their faces when they found out that the teens only knew each other for a little more than a week.

As the last day on the ship came, each person was looking forward to docking at Kanto. While they packed their luggage, simultaneous beeps reverberated through each cabin.

Misty picked up her phone with a questioning glance. "That was weird."

Dawn agreed. "Mhmm. Probably a mass-text?"

"Only one way to find out." Misty tapped her phone a few times before squinting to read the message. She murmured to herself while reading. "Concert...mhm..Celadon...ahh...song...O-kay!" She snapped her head up and stuck her phone back into her pocket. "We have a concert two days after we arrive- it's in Celadon city. Solidad wants us to practice our previous performance's routine since we don't have a ton of rehearsal time. We won't be singing with the boys for this show."

"'kay. We'll just do a quick run-through when we arrive. Anything else?"

Misty pulled out her phone again. "Umm... She asked if we have any new songs, and if we were up for debuting them."

Dawn mock-saluted and skipped to the attached room. "LEAF! Where's our song writer?"

The brunette walked out of the bathroom. "Right here! What's up?" She asked, holding a bag of toiletries.

"How are your songs coming along?"

She frowned slightly. "I haven't been able to come up with anything exceptional, though I did help Gary write a song during breakfast earlier."

"Gary? As in our competition _'Gary'_? You've been hanging out with him a lot lately." Dawn said suspiciously.

"Oh come on, Dawn. You know they had no choice but to be involved in this competition! They're in the same position we are."

"No, no, it's not like that. I'm just saying that you two are really close." She smirked. On the inside, Dawn was truly confused. How could someone who was so _scarred_ from her past with guys take so easily to Gary? Was it his smooth ways? Leaf usually stuck to avoiding all types of interaction with boys... Then again, she took pretty well to the rest of Roulette too. Maybe she was finally coming out of her shell.

Leaf just stuck her tongue at her blue-eyed friend and zipped up her suitcase.

The ship's PA system rang out.

_"Attention Passengers: We will be docking in Fuschia City in half an hour. Please prepare your cabins upon arrival and return your room keys to the front desk. Thank you, and we hope you enjoyed sailing on the S.S. Current!"_

"Guys, are you done packing and everything?" Misty shouted from the other room.

"Yup! And so is May. She finished a while earlier." Leaf responded.

"Where is she?"

"She went with Ash to the lunch buffet." The girls sweatdropped. How typical.

"Well I think we should go turn in our keys and wait on deck. I can't wait to see where we'll be staying at for the next couple months!" Dawn chirped.

Leaf 'mhm'-ed in agreement. "Lets get going then. I'll just leave another note for May."

She ripped out a page from her song book and wrote a short message. The band members shared a look as they silently pulled their bags to the main deck.

**...**

Five minutes away from docking, May and Dawn could barely contain their excitement.

"Kanto! Ahh- my god I've never been here before! It looks amazing!" Dawn squealed as she clasped her hands together dreamily.

Misty smiled. "Home, sweet home. You guys will love it here, it's great. I'm psyched to go visit to Cerulean!"

"Hey Mist," Ash whispered, poking her side. "You promise to do you-know-what?"

She swatted his hand away. "Shush! They might hear you! Yeah, yeah I will, don't worry. I told you though, it's nothing to worry about, I just have a small cold or something."

"You haven't sneezed all week." He countered.

"What do you know? Have you been stalking me to track how many times I sneeze? I don't think so." She hissed, pulling on his ear.

He whimpered. "But promised you would get checked."

"Fine, fine. Whatever floats your boat."

Ash snorted. "We're on a boat!"

Needless to say, he was temporary silenced as the Mallet collided with his head.

The final announcement from the ship's crew rang out, thanking the passengers and declaring the arrival to their destination. As tourists crowded out into the port, Dawn rushed down the steps, falling unto her knees at the beach's golden sand. "LAAAAND! OH SWEET LAND!" She exclaimed, dramatically hugging the grainy ground under her.

"I thought you liked the boat ride, Dawn." May pondered.

"Hell no." The blunette deadpanned. "I get seasick."

"You didn't seem like it at all..."

"I just hid it behind my amazing acting skills. I didn't want you guys to worry." She snobbishly stuck her nose up.

May laughed then tackled her into a hug. "Even when you mean well, you're still a brat."

The two best friends giggled madly, exchanging violent hugs. It was a strange but sweet sight, until a certain grouch decided to intervene.

"I'd hate to intrude on this _love fest_," Paul said spat almost bitterly, "But we should go. Reggie's here."

Sure enough, a sleek, black, 6-door hummer pulled up in the beach's parking lot, attracting the attention of the male tourist's around it.

"Geez, don't get your panties in a knot, Paul." Dawn muttered, lugging her bags towards the shiny car.

Drew let out a low whistle. "Damn..."

"Like it?" The boys' manager grinned while stepping out of the Hummer. He spun the keys around his finger. "It's yours while you're in Kanto. You eight need transportation for going out on your own, and this was one of the largest non-mini van rides I could find. Shall we go?"

"All of our bags won't fit in there..." Drew said, skeptically.

Reggie gestured to a spacious silver BMW pulling up behind the black car. "Solidad and Harley will pack whatever can't fit into the other car."

The large group tumbled into the Hummer, fighting over the seats. Reggie shook his head. "Still as immature as ever."

They eventually decided on their seating arrangements: While Gary and Ash fought over who had the privilege to sit shot-gun, Leaf snuck into the front and kicked Gary out, leaving him to sit in the center row, on the left of May, who had Dawn sitting on her right. Misty, Drew, and Paul silently filed into the back, not wanting to be involved in the childish quarrel.

A comfortable silence filled the vehicle during the long ride to Saffron City. Once the passengers' initial fascination with the new region blew over, they diverted their attention to their friends as they chatted endlessly. Their admiring glances towards the scenery faded when certain teens dozed off to sleep.

As they pulled up into the hotel's parking lot, they were surprised to find paparazzi waiting there. Misty groaned. "Ugh, already? We just got to Kanto, and we technically haven't even started the tour yet."

Reggie turned off the Hummer's engine and tossed the keys at an awaiting valet. "You guys should be used to it by now. You've been at the top of the charts for a while- you can only expect this."

"Ehh, I guess." She shrugged, climbing out of the backseat. "It's still annoying, though." A few attendants rushed out of the rotating doors and immediately began loading their suitcases unto baggage carts.

Dawn daintily hopped out of the car and slipped a pair of white sunglasses over her head. "This place is amazing! And I'm loving the service." She winked at an unsuspecting bell boy, who's knees buckled under him. She giggled at her victim then proceeded to strut down the faux red carpet leading into the extravagant hotel, flashing a dazzling smile at the photographers.

The large C-shaped building stood in the heart of Saffron City- It towered over it's surroundings in an intimidating manner. The floor was tiled in black granite as strips of beige and viridian tapestry ran down the never-ending hallways. Marble sculptures were scattered throughout the corridors.

Gary whistled. "Classy. They didn't hold back at all, did they?"

"No kidding." Ash said, poking a small statue. "If this is just the lobby, I wonder what our suite's look like."

"Guys, come on!" May shouted, holding the elevator door open with a hand. "We're going to our rooms now!"

The two boys exchanged glances and raced towards the lift, excited to see their temporary living quarters.

**...**

"This is awesome!" Leaf cried, jumping on the room's black suede sofa.

The girls had arrived at their suite, and although it wasn't nearly as elaborate as the main foyer, it was still was more than they expected. Their large living space was filled with a long sofa and a TV which was parallel to the door. A square kitchen was located near the entrance, directly across the only bathroom. Four compact rooms were smushed side-by-side, with just enough personal space for it them to be deemed 'livable' by the girl's standards. A twin sized bed was in the center of each room, with a wooden desk next to it. A sliding closet doubled as a wall in each area.

Dawn studied the bland white surface. "Do you think we could paint it?"

May shook her head, "Nope, this is still a hotel, remember? Even if we _are_ living here."

"Ahh, phooey." The bluenette huffed and plopped onto her bed. "Well, it's still a nice place. The view outside my window is so amazing..."

The door of their suite rattled open as their manager stepped inside. "Hey girls." Solidad greeted, "How are you liking the hotel?"

"We love it!" Leaf smiled.

Solidad laughed. "That's good. Now you all know that you don't have much time for rehearsal, so I think you girls should squeeze some in tonight. There's a free studio a block or two away that you can practice in at any time of day- it's usually always open. And no excuses about 'forgetting' the choreo! The last time you did this was just a week or two ago, and I better see it as flawless as it was before."

The girls simultaneously nodded their heads.

Satisfied, she grinned. "Good. I arranged someone to come and pick you up the day of the concert, which is two nights from today-" She glared at anyone who would dare to forget, "-and they'll be here at around four. You'll have a few hours for prep time and et cetera. You guys know the drill. Until then, practice, practice, practice!" The woman gracefully exited the room.

Misty slouched into the sofa. "Wow. This is going to be some tour... Technically it's not even a tour."

"Yeah, I know! No cramped tour bus or anything. We just drive over to the other cities and return back to this cute little suite." Dawn said, slamming the kitchen cupboards to try and find a packet of hot cocoa.

May on the other was digging intently through her bags. "Where is it, where is it, where is it..."

"Where is what, May?" Leaf inquired.

"My laptop! I told Max I would videochat with him as soon as I got here." May cried, flinging her arms around desperately.

Leaf slammed her hands down on her panicking friend's shoulders. "Calm down. You put it on the table." She pointed a circular glass table next to the couch.

May's eyes lit up as she barreled towards the desk, nearly tackling a surprised bluenette armed with hot chocolate. She flipped open the computer and impatiently tapped her fingers as the monitor slowly came to life. As it finished loading, she clicked on the videochatting icon and typed in her screen name and password at an impossibly fast speed. May clicked on the tab that held her brother's username, and smiled as his face came onto the screen.

She sighed in relief and relaxed into the sofa. "Hey, Max! I wasn't sure if you'd still be up. It _is_ a bit later in Hoenn."

"Well I am." He grinned. "How's Kanto?"

"It's really amazing. You would've loved it! I'll take lots of pictures..."

Leaf smiled at the sibling love. She walked into her room to give them more privacy and bent down to her luggage to unpack. She needed to chance into something more comfortable for when they rehearsed for their portion of the concert... and for when she did a little private rehearsing of her own.

**...**

_"I-I-I wanna go-o-o, all the way_-ay-ay  
><em> Taking out my freak tonight!<em>  
><em> I-I-I wanna show<em>_-ow-ow  
>All the dirt-ir-irt<em>  
><em> I got running through my minddd...<em>

_Oh ohh."_

"And that was the final song from Bittersweet!" Harley shouted into the microphone. "They really are _bittersweet_, no?" He cackled madly at his hilarious joke. The awkward coughs from the audience proved otherwise.

"O-kay. Well while we prep for the next set, we're gonna have a quick five minute break. We'll be back with Roulette right after this intermission!" The crowed cheered, excited for the next band.

"Woo, that was an awesome first concert! These Kanto supporters are really animated." May beamed as the four shared a group hug. "By the way, that last song was great, Dawn."

Said girl grinned. "Thanks! Leaf was seriously badass during it. Especially since that was her first time preforming on the drums instead of her usual bass." She turned to her left to compliment the girl and was surprised when the brunette wasn't in her previous spot. "Leaf...? Where is she?"

Misty shrugged and dodged a platform being swung around by the hustling stage crew. "She probably wanted to change. Hey- Looks like they're done with intermission."

An unfamiliar girl ran onto the stage. "He-llooooo Celadon City! How are you doing tonight?" The audience roared, regardless if it was out of enthusiasm or relief that the strange, purple haired, cookie-loving MC was no longer cracking jokes. "Hahaha! I'm Maylene, a good friend of Roulette's, and without further ado, here they are!" She laughed lightly and jogged off the stage. Distracted, she bumped into May.

"Oops- sorry!" She apologized. "Oh! You're May, right? Hi, I'm Maylene. From Sinnoh. Like I said on stage, I'm a friend of the boys."

May giggled and shook her hand. "Yup! Nice to meet you. Sinnoh huh? Are you here visiting?"

The pinkette nodded her head and smiled, before being dragged away shortly by Reggie who muttered something about 'having alone time'.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the stage, Leaf's face broke out into a grin. She recognized the current song playing as the one that Gary sang to her the first day on the boat.

_"They got nothing on you, baby."_

She heart fluttered a bit, when he caught her eye backstage and smirked. She couldn't explain it, but she found it easy to trust him. And now she could say they were best friends. With the exception of Misty, Dawn, and May of course- but they were her sisters. He made her learn how to open up to men again- even if it wasn't to the fullest extent.

"Hope you guys liked that! Next we have a new song for you guys to check out. Enjoy!" Ash winked, and the entire female population of the audience screamed in ecstasy.

Gary chuckled and traded his guitar for Ash's microphone. "Featuring a special guest."

"Special guest? Only person I met today was Maylene. I didn't know she sang." May quirked a brow from backstage.

"Wait, did they say _Gary_ wrote this song?" Dawn asked, eyes wide in realization. "Then I know who it is."

Leaf took a breathe. "Here we go..."

_"How you doin' young lady, that feelin' that you givin' really drives me crazy. You don't have to play about the joke- I was at a loss of words first time that we spoke."_ Gary grinned as the crowd screeched, the first few rows of the audience clawing desperately at his feet.

A feminine voice rang out from the opposite side of the girls' position on the stage. _"You're looking for a girl that'll treat you right, you lookin' for her in the day time with the light."_

He smirked as he approached her. _"You might be the type if I play my cards right, I'll find out by the end of the night."__  
><em>

"HOLY SHIT, IS THAT _LEAF_?" Misty shrieked. "WHAT? WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THIS?"

_"You expect me to just let you hit it, but will you still respect me if you get it?"_

"I didn't know either!" May's jaw dropped to the floor. Both girls paused and glared accusingly at Dawn.

_"All I can do is try, gimme one chance, what's the problem I don't see no ring on your hand? I be the first to admit it, I'm curious about you, you seem so innocent."_

"...What?" She waved her hands in front of her face and defended herself. "I honestly didn't know! I just pieced the whole thing together now!"

_"You wanna get in my world, get lost in it. Boy I'm tired of running, let's walk for a minute."_

Solidad walked up to the group before a cat fight could start. "Why is Leaf up there? I don't mind it, but I wish I was told. I didn't think you guys would have enough time to rehearse with them."

_"Promiscuous girl, wherever you are, I'm all alone, and it's you that I want." _Gary smirked as he wiggled his eyebrows at Leaf flirtaciously.

She rolled her eyes and strutted past him, ignoring his antics. In an equally provacative voice, she sang, _"Promiscuous boy__, you already know__, that I'm all yours__, what you waiting for?"_

The girls watched in amazement. That was definitely not _their_ Leaf. Not their sweet, innocent, hidden, reserved Leaf. This one was bold, flirty, and sexy. But the biggest difference in this one... she was genuinely having a great time. A rare sight to see.

Gary pouted. _"Promiscuous girl, you're teasing me. You know what I want, and I got what you need."_

_"Promiscuous boy, let's get to the point, 'cause we're on a roll... Are you ready?"_ She stuck her tongue out and giggled, cat walking to the front of the stage. _"Roses are red, some diamonds are blue. Chivalry is dead, but you're still kinda cute."_

He followed after her. _"Hey! I can't keep my mind off you. Where you at, do you mind if I come through?"_

She reached out and touched the hands of the cheering crowd. _"I'm out of this world come with me to my planet, get you on my level do you think that you can handle it?"_ Leaf looked at him with a challenging smirk.

Gary popped his collar and rapped coolly, sending the glance back. _"They call me Gary, last name Oak. Recognize game, I'mma a lay mine bro."_

She wagged a finger at him teasingly. _"I'm a big girl, I can handle myself. But if I get lonely, Imma need your help. Pay attention to me I don't talk for my health-"_

_"-I want you on my team-"_

_"-So does everybody else."_ Leaf deadpanned.

_"Baby we can keep it on the low, let your guard down ain't nobody gotta know. If you with it girl I know a place we can go."_ He winked and motioned backstage.

Leaf made a disgusted expression. _"What kind of girl do you take me for?"_

The chorus repeated itself, the two teens taunting each other on stage and laughing.

Gary frowned. _"Don't be mad, don't get mean."_

She mimiced him. _"Don't get mad, don't be mean."_

_"Hey! Don't be mad, don't get mean."_

_"Don't get mad, don't be mean."_ She huffed and walked down the steps of the stage to sing out in the audience.

_"Wait!"_ Gary cried and trailed her._ "I don't mean no harm, I can see you with my t-shirt on."_

She turned around and sang suggestively. _"I can see you with nothing on, feeling on me before you bring that on."_

_"Bring that on?"_

_"You know what I mean."_ She rolled her eyes.

He laughed._ "Girl, I'm a freak you shouldn't say those things."_

_"I'm only trying to get inside your brain, to see if you can work me the way you say."_ She grinned and continued to interact with the crowd.

Gary made his way to the stage nonchalantly. _"It's OK, it's alright, I got something that you gonna like."_

She turned and followed him curiously. _"Hey is that the truth, or are you talking trash? Is your game M.V.P. like Steve Nash?"_

_"Promiscuous Girl, wherever you are, I'm all alone, and its you that I want."_ He continued to tease her.

She crossed her arms and stuck her bottom lip forward, facing away from him. _"Promiscuous Boy, I'm calling your name. But you're driving me crazy, the way you're making me wait."_

He sighed then walked up to her. _"Promiscuous Girl, you're teasing me,"_ He wrapped an arm around her to make her face him._ "You know what I want, and I got what you need."_

_"Promiscuous Boy, we're one in the same, so we don't gotta play games no more..."_ She smiled brightly and threw her arms around him.

As the music died down, the audience erupted into a fit of deafening wolf whistles and screaming. She released him from his hug and ran off the stage happily.

Drew made his way to the main mic. "That was some hot stuff, huh?" He chuckled. "Well our next song..."

As soon as Leaf made her way into the curtains, she was gagged by a certain red head. "LEAF! That was freaking amazing!"

Dawn jumped and wrapped her arms around the two. "Where did that even come from? Holy cow!"

"Don't forget meee!" May cried as she tackled the girls. "That was very... _promiscuous_ of you, Leaf." She giggled.

Leaf laughed and pulled away. "Aww, thanks guys! Sorry for not telling you, but I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Boy was that a surprise." May smirked, an amused expression taking over her features. Her eyes softened as Leaf pulled her into another hug. "You really were fantastic."

That night, their opening concert turned out to be a hit, gaining them more popularity than ever. And as for Leaf, the indestructible wall that surrounded her heart slowly began to crumble.

* * *

><p><strong>So what do you think? Leave your comments and suggestions in the box below!<br>...Wow I've been on youtube too much.**

**Told you it was an oldrivalshippy chapter... Maybe _too _ORS. I just felt like writing about Leaf and Gary. Mainly because I started reading the manga the same day I started this chapt****er, and I'm in love with Blue and Green. Nyaaaah. (:**

**Expect all/most of the chapters to end with a concert scene, since they're on tour and they have a concert almost every day. Why? Because I said so. & I have oh-so-many songs I want them to preform.**

**I know, I know. I disappointed ya'll with the lack of drama in this. I'll try to make it up to you in the next chapter by revealing Misty's problem. Oooooh. It'll be pokeshippy!**

**Just wanted to say that I appreciate all of the feedback and everything. You guys really are amazing. :D  
><strong>

**Review/Favorite/Alert/Check out my other stories/Mindless rambling/blah.  
>~Brie<strong>

**PS: If I deleted all of the chapters of this story except for the first one/prologue, would the reviews from any chapter after the initial one get removed? Just wondering. :3 tyty.  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 5: Skinny Love

****Hey guys, it's been a while! I just wanted to say that I wrote this chapter back in October, forgot about it, lost it, and now I had to re-write it, haha. Enjoy!  
><strong>**

****Songs used in this chapter in order of appearance:  
>Skinny Love - Bon Iver<br>Paradise - Coldplay  
><strong>**

****I always recommend listening to the song while it's being 'sung'.  
><strong>**

****Disclaimer: I don't nor will ever own Pokemon, it's characters, or the songs used.  
>Suggested for ages 13+ for swearing, alcohol, drugs, etc.<strong>**

* * *

><p><strong>Bittersweet Memories<strong>__  
>Chapter 5: Skinny Love<em>_

Misty cringed as a wisp of thin, fresh air tickled her face. She opened her eyes, and encased in a fluffy comforter, silently cursed herself for forgetting to shut the window that disrupted her peaceful sleep. Hearing the clink of forks hitting dishes made her realize that her roommates were already up and eating breakfast. She dragged herself out of bed and slammed the window shut. Sure it was sunny outside, but it felt like it was cold enough to give her frostbite at any second. She quietly unbuttoned her pajamas and tied on her bikini. A good swim oughta get her blood flowing. She threw on her usual jumper and opened the door to the living room. Instantly the smell of bacon bombarded her unprepared nose.

She grabbed her nose, preventing anymore of the smell from entering. The rich odor of pig made her skin crawl. She could only imagine the layers of grease piled on to the little chunk of meat. With each hiss of the frying pan, her stomach began to churn.

"Mornin' Misty." Leaf greeted, still in her pajamas with a simple apron on top and a bacon-filled pan in hand. _Disgusting. _"Hungry?"

Misty shook her head quickly and tried her best not to run to the door. "I'm not really hungry, I'll eat when I get back okay? I'm just gonna go for a swim- bye!" She said, as hurried out of the apartment.

Dawn looked after her curiously, and after deciding that it was just typical Misty, continued to eat happily. May couldn't be bothered to look up from her plate.

**...**

As she gracefully dove into the water, the cool liquid surrounded her at once, gently cradling each and every curve of her body. Her muscles finally relaxed- barely straining from the excitement of being able to have an entire pool to herself. After a few laps she flipped over and allowed herself to float on her back. Though it felt like hours, it was still early in the morning so no one had come out to join her in the water. She closed her eyes as the sun's tender rays were absorbed by her pale skin.

_Come on skinny love just last the year_  
><em>Pour a little salt, we were never here<em>  
><em>My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my<em>  
><em>Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer<em>

Her stomach growled. And as much as she wanted to continue swimming laps, she knew she couldn't overexert her frail self. But it was no big deal, it was just a little side effect of being famous. She was probably just stressed out from the last minute tour they shoved upon her and her girls. Yes, that was it. That would explain why she was so tired. And why she fainted. Surely no one else could really see it- between the lies they call photoshop, the pounds of make up applied not only to her face, but to her bruised body. The many hair products applied to her mane to revert it to its natural glowing self. The extra padding in her wardrobe. Hell, to anyone other then her make-up team, she was still as naturally flawless as ever.

_I tell my love to wreck it all_  
><em> Cut out all the ropes and let me fall<em>  
><em> My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my<em>  
><em> Right in this moment this order's tall<em>

She flipped back around to float on her stomach, one side of her face grazed the water's surface while the other captured the sun's radiation. She saw Maylene and Reggie walk out into the pool. They stood far enough apart to respect each other's personal space, but anyone could tell that either one of the couple was tempted to break the boundary line at any moment. Reggie looked over at her and gave her a small wave before giving his complete attention back to Maylene.

_I told you to be patient_  
><em> I told you to be fine<em>  
><em> And I told you to be balanced<em>  
><em> And I told you to be kind<em>

To Misty's surprise, they weren't alone. Strolling out after them was Paul. Clad in only trunks, he had his head held high though the rest of his posture was some what lazy. He looked at her and the two exchanged an acknowledging nod, before he jumped into the pool and swam. She was still in her own little reverie, but there was something about watching Paul swim that put her at peace. For the quiet, grudging one of the group, it seemed like he released his emotions through his sport. His muscular body tore through the water in a way only professional swimmers could understand.

_In the morning I'll be with you_  
><em> But it will be a different kind<em>  
><em> I'll be holding all the tickets<em>  
><em> And you'll be owning all the fines<em>

It was like he was one with the waves. Although he'd been swimming for quite awhile, Misty continued to float under the sun and just watch his movements with never ending awe. He moved with passion, and grace. Something no one was used to seeing from the rugged boy. When he finished his art, Misty waded over to him curiously. "I didn't know you were a swimmer too."

He peak open an eye and shrugged.

She studied his face. "You're... you're so fluid. It's like you were meant for water. How did you get that amazing?"

He kept his eyes shut and floated in silence. Misty began to climb out of the pool after she assumed that it was the end of the conversation. "I started when I was 14." She stopped in her tracks and looked at the boy. She sat on the edging of the pool. "I was always an athlete. But I had no one there for me. So when I got injured, I needed to find a way to stay in shape without straining my muscles and I turned to swimming. I guess years of practice just makes it natural."

She looked at him and nodded her head. "What do you mean that no one was there for you? What happened to your parents? And Reggie's your brother, right? Didn't he help you out?"

He floated in silence once more. Misty began to get accustomed to these strange but comfortable gaps. "Reggie was too easy on me. He didn't support me training while I was injured."

She thought about asking him why he didn't tell her about his parents, or what this injury was. After debating it internally, she decided to drop the subject. "So how long have Reggie and Maylene been going out?"

"They're not." Paul replied bitterly, not with a sense of despite towards Maylene, but almost as if he's gotten the question a thousand times before.

She looked at him questionably before studying the couple. Again, there was distance between them, but anyone could see the gentle flirting. They really liked each other. Now she understood. Neither side would admit to it.

"It's been going on for years," Paul's deep voice shook with irritation. "It's skinny love." He pulled himself out of the pool, and without a goodbye, grabbed his towel and entered the resort.

Misty continued to sit at the edge of the pool, contemplating. Skinny Love? She'd have to ask Dawn about that later, she was the poetic type. Standing up, she mimicked the actions of Paul and returned to her room.

_Who will love you?_  
><em> Who will fight?<em>  
><em> Who will fall far behind?<em>  
><em> Ooh, ooh<em>

**...**

Ash ran down the corridor of the resort, looking for his purple-haired friend. Running backwards and calling out his name, the drummer looked ridiculously out of place in the 5-star hotel. "PAUUU-oof." He toppled backwards. "Ow. That wasn't so bad. These floors are kinda soft."

"Watch where you're going, genius." The floor groaned. Ash sat up and looked at his cushion. "Oh hey Misty, why are you under me?"

She stared at him incredulously and offered him a hand to pull her up off the floor. With both her hands occupied by Ash's, she couldn't grab her towel as it easily slid of off her thin frame. "Aw crap.." She released herself from his grip and instantly felt self-conscious in just a thin bikini. She bent over awkwardly, trying to show as little skin as she could. But that did nothing to help her cause. As she finally had her fingers wrapped around the towel, Ash's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist with no pity as the pressure from his grip began to cause her pain.

The sudden forced startled her as her wrist slowly lost circulation from his grasp. "Ash?" She gasped.

"Misty, what's wrong?" He loosened his grip significantly, realizing that his strength was more than he intended to use. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you.." He looked down, ashamed.

She was so shocked by his outburst she was left speechless. She had never seen this serious side of Ash before. She'd only known him for a little over a month but she knew him pretty well. And he was always goofy and loveable. So what the hell made him react this way?

"Misty..." He sighed. "I know you well enough to know somethings wrong." His eyes glimmered with concern and guilt. "You know you can talk to me about anything right? Have you been to the doctor's yet?"

She shook her head no and kept her lips pressed firmly together. Ash looked her in the eyes and saw that she was obviously avoiding the contact. He studied her body. She had muscle from years of swimming, but something was different from the girl he spent time with on the boat. Although she had a slender build since the start, he noticed that her ribs stuck out further than before and the healthy curves of her body were flattened out. Dangerous assumptions began to flood his mind. "Let's go visit my friend, okay?" He wrapped the towel over her shoulders and kept a firm grip around her tiny waist.

She looked up at him and felt ashamed. He was obviously just trying to protect her, but this was really none of his concern. Still, Misty felt guilty for not coming to him sooner. His sudden maturity changed her perspective on the naive boy.

They reached her suite, and before she could knock on the door, Ash turned her around to face him and gripped her shoulders securely. "Get changed and promise me you'll eat something, okay? We'll leave later, I just have to make a quick call." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a small squeeze. "Please. Just do this for me."

She nodded and he smiled. He wordlessly walked away and entered another room across their hall.

**...**

May laid out on the sofa with her laptop on her stomach. Dawn and Leaf had left earlier to go check out Saffron City's mall. It was nice, having a little alone time before they went off to rehearse with the whole group. She searched the internet idly, looking at random viral videos and untrue gossip spread by entertainment magazines. She stopped as she saw an article of her and her girls in a magazine titled _'Bittersweet- Is the famous band breaking up?'_ She quirked a brow at the accusation. Oh, this would be an interesting read. Apparently there was a love triangle going on between her and Leaf, fighting over a mysterious boy. She read the article, as amused as ever.

While half-way through, her brother's face popped up on the screen, startling her. "Oh my god, Max! You scared me."

"Haha, sorry May. I couldn't log on sooner, I was talking to Nurse Joy."

She giggled. "It's okay. I was just reading some mindless gossip anyways."

"I really need to talk to you." She nodded wordlessly. "It's about a new kind of treatment."

"A new kind of treatment?" May sat up immediately at these words. "What is it? What's the survival rate?"

"They've... never tried it before."

"What? If it's never been put to use, how do you know it'll work? What if it makes you worse?"

Max looked at her deep in the eye. They were only talking through their webcams, but she could feel the intensity and honesty in his gaze. "May. I know I'm only 14, and you probably don't want me to risk it, but what do I have to lose? If the treatment works, I'm saved, and I can ensure the recovery of other people like me who could use it. And if it doesn't, I've lived a happy life. And proving that it might not work can save another life who they'll test it on instead of me. Please, May. I really want to do this, and I'm not gonna do it without your permission."

She stared at him speechless. He had really put a lot of thought to it. "I... I don't necessarily agree with this... But if it's what you really want, I can't object." She smiled weakly.

"Thank you so much, May!" He grinned and awkwardly hugged his laptop in place of his sister.

She laughed. "So what do they want to do?"

"Like I said, it's never been done before..." He played with the hem of his bed sheet. "They want to give ma a complete blood transplant."

Her jaw dropped. "A complete blood transplant? As in, every gallon of your blood, transferred?" He nodded his head meekly. "Are you really okay with that, Max? It doesn't sound logical at all! What if your body rejects the transplant? What if they can't find enough donors?"

"I rather have a complete transplant then continue with chemotherapy." He slipped his coveted teal beanie of his head and patted his thin coat of hair. "I have what, like 3 strands of hair left?" He joked. "My entire blood stream is affected by the cancer. I'm willing to take the risk. I just hope my big sister is supportive of me doing it."

She looked down, his words hitting her like a ton of bricks. "I'm sorry... You know I'll always be there for you. How long will the procedure take? I can skip the concerts and go back to Hoenn whenever you need me."

"Don't worry about it." Max gave her a small smile. "You continue what your doing, and I'll be fine. I think it'll take a few days or so, considering they can't pump all of my blood out in one sitting."

Nurse Joy wheeled in with a cart. May listened to her gentle voice. "Max, I need to run some tests on you. Can you finish up soon?"

"Sure Nurse Joy." He nodded at the pink-haired women off screen. "Bye May, I love you! Good luck on your concert's sis." He lopsidedly grinned.

Even though his face was right in front of hers, she felt so far away from him. Not being able to hold his hand, or ruffle his hair was too much for May to even think about. She loved him, but it felt like she was making him go through all of this alone. "I love you too, Maxie. Take care." She gave him a soft smile as the screen faded to black and his face disappeared.

She dropped her head to her knees and ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't think Max was making the right choice, but he had his heart and soul set on the transplant. A salty tear ran down her cheek. She really missed him. She really felt like a horrible sister, abandoning him like that.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Quiet tapping came from their door. "Guys, it's Misty! Could you open the door? I left my key in my room." May sat up and quickly wiped her running nose.

"Coming, Misty!" She swung open the door for her friend.

The red-head smiled and stepped in. "Thanks. Where are the other girls?"

"Shopping, like usual." She forced a smile.

Misty studied her awkward grin. "Right... Well I have to change, Ash is bringing me to the do-... uh meet his friend."

Too preoccupied with her own thoughts, May just nodded before taking her place back on the sofa while Misty made her way to her room.

**...**

"Misty, right? It's great to finally meet you." A tall, tan man wearing a simple white coat shook her hand. "I'm Brock, a good friend of Ash's from his non-famous days. I've heard quite a bit about you." He laughed heartily and elbowed Ash's arm.

She looked at him, a pinkish tint stained on her cheeks. His spiky hair and tan should've made him seem intimidating but he was glowing with friendliness. "Thank you. You're so young for a doctor."

He chortled. "Yeah, technically I just graduated, but I've been studying medicine since I could walk."

Ash smacked him on the back. "Yup, that's good ol' Brock for you. He can help you with anything. I'm gonna go to the food court. See ya, Mist."

She stared at him as he left the room. "How can someone who was completely concerned and controlled just walk out like that... like nothing?" She shook her head. "I swear, he's insane."

"No, he's honestly worried for you. He just trusts you in my hands so he went to go fill up the never-ending pit he calls his stomach."

She smiled. She liked this doctor, he had a sense of humor. "So, Misty. Care to tell me whats been bothering you-or actually-Ash?"

She sighed. Guess she would finally figure out what was making her feel so miserable. She told everything- her fainting, her mood swings, always being cold, no matter how hot it may be, constantly being exhausted, all of the stress. After her rant she felt lightheaded and leaned back against her chair. Brock didn't respond for a while and just continually stared at her body. Misty began to feel self conscious and remember how she felt when Ash did the same thing to her earlier that day. Oh how she wished she had a towel with her.

"Misty... Ah, I remember why you sounded familiar. You're a sensational sister."

She scowled. "No, I'm not. I'm the runt of the sensational sisters." Brock continued to study her. "I see that it's a sensitive topic. I won't push it unless you want to talk about it."

"No. I'm fine. You don't need to tell me how gorgeous they are, or how amazing they are. I know I'll never live up to their standards. I'll never be perfect like them." Brock looked at her with pity and opened his mouth to comfort her.

"Mistyyyy! I just got a text from Reggie! We're gonna be late to rehearsal." Ash said, barging in with a massive burger in hand.

"Ahh! Solidad is gonna kill me! I'm so sorry, but we have to go." She picked up her bag.

Brock nodded up and opened the door for them. "I think I know your problem. It's just stress. Just make sure you have enough to eat and enough sleep okay?"

Trying to be a step ahead, Ash held out his greasy patty. "Here ya go, Mist. You can have my patty to eat." Misty flinched at the burger. More than any person normally would. The look in her eye was apparent: It was disgust. Layered with...fear?

She scurried out the room quickly with Ash looking after her in confusion. "She never accepts my food." He pouted.

Brock's eyes widened in realization. Her problem wasn't stress. It was something entirely different. "Ash, I need to talk to you, come in here."

Ash shook his head. "No can do, Brock-o. Gotta leave. You're coming to our concert tonight, right? Just meet up with me backstage." And with that he ran off.

**...**

Dawn ran up to the microphone. "Hey, hey, hey Vermilion City!" The crowd roared, cheering and swooning over the gorgeous bluenette. "Nice to see you guys too! Thanks for coming tonight!" She giggled. "I'm not gonna stall you for too long- we have so much planned for you guys! Up first you have a collab between yours truly, Leaf, and some of the boys from Roulette! Enjoy!" She waved to the crowd as the audience surged forward, hoping to touch the famous band member.

She skipped to the front, right corner of the stage and picked up a classical violin off its stand. After picking it up and holding it to her chin, she cupped her hand to her mouth. "Come on out guys!"

Leaf walked out, and with a quick wave to the crowd, settled behind the keyboard located right next to Dawn. She greeted her blue-haired friend with a wink. Ash took his place at the drum set on a raised stage at the back of the main one, while Drew came out with a dramatic hair flip and a stool which he placed in the center of the stage. The performers all gave a simultaneous nod.

Dawn playing her violin with intensity as Leaf's fingers started dancing across her keyboard. After a short classical instrumental, Ash's drumming began adding an edge to the melody.

"Ooooh oooh ooooh, ooooh oooh oooh." Dawn and Leaf sang into their headsets.

Drew closed his eyes and held on to the mic stand as Dawn's playing quieted down. "When she was just a girl, she expected the world. But it flew away from her reach, so she ran away in her sleep."

Ash's drumming pattern kept steady. "Dreamed of para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Every time she closed her eyes."

The violin's sound became intense once again as Dawn and Leaf began to harmonize. "Oooh ooh oooh, oooh ooh ooooh."

"When she was just a girl, she expected the world," Drew pulled the mic off its stand and held it close to his mouth. "But it flew away from her reach, and the bullets catch in her teeth."

Ash bobbed his head to the beat, hitting each snare at the perfect moment. "Life goes on, it gets so heavy. The wheel breaks the butterfly. Every tear, a waterfall." Drew began to stand up slowly, his mic never leaving his mouth. He gazed in the audience with such intensity that the crowd fell silent, enticed by his emerald stare. "In the night, the stormy night, she closed her eyes. In the night, the stormy night, away she'd fly.

"And dreamed of para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh."

Drew raised an arm over his head and waved it, shifting his weight back and forth between his feet. The crowd mimicked his actions. "She dreamed of para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh."

The green-haired boy fell silent as the musicians played with such passion the whole stadium screamed in pleasure. He walked up to the crowed and leaned over to sing to a fan. "La, la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la, la, la, la." She went weak in the knees and fell back on her friend. Drew stood up and with a smirk, continued to sing.

"Still lying underneath those stormy skies. She said oh, ooh oh oh ooh, oh. I know the sun must set to rise.

"This could be para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. This could be para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh, oh oooh ooh." He waved his arm over his head once again while the girls harmonized as back up.

"This could be para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. This could be para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh, oh oooh ooh."

Out of the left wing, Gary walked out strumming his electric guitar and blending with the melody. Even more voices chorused behind Drew's singing. "This could be para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. This could be para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh, oh oooh ooh."

All instruments, other than the simple chords of Dawn's violin stopped playing completely as Drew finished up the song, sitting upon his stool once again.

"Oooh ooh ooooh, oh oooh ooh. Oooh ooh oooh, oooh ooh ooooh."

The crowd shrieked and cheered as many girls threw themselves at the stage, screaming Drew's name. His wolfish grin was wide and his hair was flipped multiple times.

May crossed her arms and blew a raspberry. "Look at him, basking in the glory of those desperate girls."

Solidad perked a brow and laughed to herself. Same old May. Okay, girls get ready to go on stage. Misty, get your sticks from Ash.

Gary, Drew and Ash exited the stage. The brunette spotted Brock on the next wing and made his way to say hi to his old friend. Drew wished the girls good luck as they walked on the stage, his eyes dancing with cockiness from his last performance.

"Hey, Ash!" He turned around to see Misty on stage waving at him. "Toss the sticks over, would ya?" He obliged, throwing both of the drumsticks over to the girl. "Thanks!"

He nodded and began to make his way to the snack bar. Performing really made him hungry. He licked his lips and honed into the table, getting ready to stuff his face.

"Ash."

Said boy turned around. Normally he wouldn't be fazed by someone calling his name when he was preparing to eat, but the voice had so much urgency that it alarmed him. "Oh hi Brock! Thanks for coming."

"I need to tell you something. It's about Misty."

Now that caught his attention. "Yeah?"

"I think..." He ran his hand through his hair. "Misty... She's anorexic."

* * *

><p><strong>So much dramaaaaa. I know you guys are gonna say something about Misty &amp; Paul's encounter and how it can be taken as romantic, but no worries, this is strictly ikari&amp;poke. I think they just need to branch out and get closer to the other boys, not just the ones that they'll end up with. :) Did you enjoy the curtainshipping? Sorry if Ash seemed OOC, I just needed it to seem urgent. The fluff and the flirting is coming, I promise! So far the only couple thats been obvious was Leaf&amp;Gary.<br>**

**You guys seemed to love the conversations between May & Max so there's gonna be a ton of that in later chapters. :) I'm planning to make this story 10 chapters, 15 at most. So sorry if it seems rushed!**

**And I'm soooooo sorry this took so long to get out. I promise I'll update more often! Your reviews really inspire me to keep on writing.**

**Review/Alert/Favorite/Check out my other stories!  
>~Brie<strong>

**Feel free to request any songs you want them to sing :)**


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